Monday, February 1, 2010
Technology in Schools
Please watch the video "Why We Need To Teach Technology in School." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnHdqpE4RM What is your reaction? In your opinion, is the video correct or incorrect or biased?In what specific ways should the content of this video impact education? Add your thoughts in the comments.
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After watching "Why We Need to Teach Technology in School" video, it only solidified my opinion that we need to keep up with technology in schools today. The way the video demonstrated the evolution of technology was a perfect example of how our world has changed and how we need to adapt to change with it. We are only touching the surface of the technology that our students will eventually have in their everyday lives. We need to embrace this change and prepare our students through education. This also means that it is a teachers responsibility to learn and keep up with technology so that they will be a more effective teacher. Overall, I believe the video hit the nail on the head. We have to keep up with technology or we will only cause students to hate school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above posting, in that we need to keep up with the available technologies. There are so many amazing free resources available that it is possible to do so at low or no cost to our districts and buildings. However, I have taken some things for granted this year. One of my courses is a competition-based science course. In many of the competitions, students are participated in distance learning and online submissions. I completely overlooked the fact that while students are increasing more comfortable in these situations, they can still lack in basic skills such as: editing; research; and general etiquette in online settings (email, discussion forums, etc). In retrospect, I should have foreseen these issues. I still view this as a valuable lesson. It reaffirmed to me that literacy is not just reading, writing and number skills. Students need to be taught how to appropriately use the tools that they have at the fingertips.
ReplyDeleteAs i watched this video I thought about the situation I see at my school. Many of the teachers are focused on teaching the content of their subject in order to prepare their students for CRTs, state writing test and other standardized test. This way of teaching although "safe" does not prepare the students for the technological issues they will face.
ReplyDeleteAt my school we are having problems with the abuse of social networking and cell phone usage. Students have not been taught how to properly use the technology around them and therefore abuse it by using it to spread rumors and hurt feelings. This technology can be used for more productive activities but us as teachers are bogged down with new curriculums, more responsiblities and quotas and therefore have minimal time to address our students' 21st century needs. What can be done?
I absolutely agree with the video. If we don't engage our students with current technology they will be left behind. It is our responsibility as educators to keep up with technology and to use it in our everyday classrooms. This is the tool that will help our students become interested in education and learn to their optimal potential. My biggest problem is that the school districts don't have the money to keep up with the technology that we need. That is where the frustration comes in for me. There is a multitude of amazing things we could do for our studnets out there but our districts don't have the money to sign up for the websites or to purchase the equiptment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this video. If we know what will motivate kids to learn, why wouldn't we use it? I use a Promethean Board to teach grammar, and am shocked at how well my students do on their homework. However, it is difficult to keep up with the advancements in technology. It seems like we always want the newest, best technologies and will implement something new before anything has been mastered on the previous technology.
ReplyDeleteThis video totally put into perspective the reality of technology in our world today. As teachers, we must embrace this truth and run with it so that our students will enjoy the learning process.
ReplyDeleteI loved how the video portrayed then and now...It is crazy how much things have changed (and I can't imagine what is to come!)
I agree with this video. After watching the video “Why we need to teach technology in school”, I had to think about my opinion of technology that I had before. Actually, I didn’t think that much about needs of new technology. Just I was a person that I studied with a traditional style of education before and I almost would be a teacher with the same style without that much technology. However, after watching this video I felt that I had a wrong idea. I need to learn more and more the new technology to use in school and teach technology to students to help their experience with these tools safe.
ReplyDeleteHow many times have we heard the comment we teach the way we were taught or we teach the way we found success in learning? We assume because we learned that way everyone else learns that way too.
ReplyDeleteBut 21st learners are not like us. They have grown up in a world we struggle to imagine in many ways. We need to have the sense to recognize the world has changed and the imagination to operate in our new world.
Both are challenges. We can't throw up our hands in frustration; we have to put one foot (or mouse click)in front of another and get about the work of it.
What I believe is going to become more and more important is that school districts realize the important role technology should play in educating our 21st century students. What this means, is that districts need to get serious about educating teachers on the tools that are available to incorporate technology into the classroom. One way to do this is to have instructional technologists, or technology coaches available to aid teachers in implementing these technologies. Until the role of technology is understood as one of the pillars of education in this century, we will always be reaching and grasping just to try and keep up.
ReplyDeleteI think that the video has a very strong message. Given that almost any job requires the use of computers, fax, copiers, etc...We clearly need to give children hands on experience. The internet alone, has free programs for example, that teach you a foreign language. There are endless opportunities on the world wide web. I have been applying for jobs endlessly after graduation and every one of them asks about your skills on the computer and certain software as well. I feel our children/students should have these skills also.
ReplyDeleteThere were several things that struck me about this video. The first was simply a reflection on the various photographs of inventions. How many new inventions did a person see in their lifetime 1,000 years ago? 100 years ago? 50 years ago? Thus far in my lifetime, the amount of new developments is already too many to count. How many inventions will the next generation see in their lifetime? The sheer volume of new technology out there is at times overwhelming. So I have to take a moment and simply be in awe of the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to my role as an educator, there were two things that struck me: the quote about engaging or enraging and the idea of creating safe tools. I wish there was a way to use cell phones in my classroom. It is a battle I fight everyday to have kids turn off their cell phones or confiscate them. I spend way too much time and energy stopping this when I would rather be embracing it. Kids get tired of being told to put them away and I have seen several kids "shut down" in class because of being confronted about having it on. At the same point in time, I also understand why it is district policy to not allow cell phone usage in school. It is something that can't be monitored for safe and appropriate use and there are bullies with cell phones out there. This leads back to the issue of creating a safe way to use these new forms of technology. I am torn and frustrated. On the one hand, I would love to embrace cell phones and see them used for their full potential, but on the other hand, I want every single one of my kids to feel safe in the classroom and I do not know how I can ensure that at this point.
I agree with much of what has already been said, and that we need to keep up with the technology in school. I teach a course (Mass Media, next year will be called 21st Century Liteacy) and we are introducing the students to various means of communication every time we have class.
ReplyDeleteIt also changes so much that it is hard to keep current, and I know costly to school districts.
I am a music teacher and I have found that the use of technology in my classroom has been a godsend. I think that while implementing it can sometimes be costly, with a little research it is easy to start small. Just using the projector to show websites gets my kids immediately engaged. I am hoping to continue to learn about new ways to use technology in my classroom. THe students love it, and I find they are more engaged when I do!
ReplyDeletePreaching to the converted. Access to lots of information and methods of presenting the information is very helpful, if not required for any inquiry-based instructional technique. Further, the novelty of an experience is part of being engaged in the experience. New web applications show up so often that I find myself behind if I take a week off. Be careful not to overuse a method if novelty is the only hook used in class. Students become accustomed to a process easily.
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