Sunday, September 25, 2011


http://www.wix.com/blakecurran/iclassroom

Dr. Scott McLeod

 Dr. McLeod posted about how important he thinks technology is for students to learn. Dr. McLeod is a professor at the University of Kentucky. I agreed with Dr. McLeod about the importance of students learning technology. However I think Dr. McLeod laughs off some very real threats of technology and puts technology on a pedestal above basic essential academic skills. Pen and paper are not going anywhere. Students need to know how to write and read. That is what we need to teach kids. Now technology can help do that but the real important part is the academic side. He states the threats of pornography, cyber bullying and cheating but those are all very real threats that computers pose. Facebook is not a place for elementary students I believe. And they shouldn’t have access to many of the blogs or pages that are available. Technology is important but we have to remember what we truly want our students to learn.

The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning)

 Travis Allen believes that the American education system is broken and he believes technology can go a long way to helping fix it. He claims that the iPod has everything it needs to replace all classroom supplies. The iPod does have many great applications that would be very helpful and interactive for students. I think he does a terrific job of combining both education and technology. His video clearly shows that technology can work for educational purposes on a grand scale. I think at higher levels some of the math, science, languages and other subjects would be extremely difficult to learn on a iPod. But the potential is definitely there for those wanting to use it.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

 I am a big fan of music and I thought this video was very cool. It may not offer the same effect of a live performance but being able to do these things through technology is truly amazing. Technology offers us an opportunity to connect people from all over the world and do things together that we could have never dreamed of before.

Teaching In the 21st Century

Students have access to a limitless amount of information. Everything we teach in a classroom can be found on the internet. This means it is necessary that as teachers we provide something more than what can be viewed online. But we would be naïve if we did not use this new technology to our advantage. As educators we need to teach students how to use these resources effectively. I am a perfect example. I knew how to Google things for research and fun but learning how to you use things like Google Docs and Google Presentation offers a whole new dimension and way to learn. We need to teach skills in school just as much as we need to teach facts and data. Teaching in the 21st century is not the same as it used to be and in order to be effective teachers we need to adapt to that.

4 comments:

  1. Read <a href="http://strangethoughtsbyjohn.blogspot.com/2011/08/im-scared.html>I'm Scared</a> That constitutes my comment about your fears which I think are greatly overblown and misplaced. Computers are not the problem. The way people use them is the source of any problems that may exist. And it will be <i>your responsibility</i> to teach your students how to use these tools responsibly! Moreover, who is to decide what "blogs and pages" an individual can access? Shall I be the great censor? Shall you? Or shall the individual him or herself have that burden? If it is not the individual involved than I nominate myself for the position of Almighty Censor.

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  2. I disagree that the fears are misplaced. I think it would be like saying "guns do not kill people, people kill people." Then after stating that giving everyone a free gun. There is a reason many schools block certain websites from being accessed from the school (including Facebook and Twitter). Computers offer students access to great information but also a large amount of terrible sources. I believe it would be irresponsible of a teacher not to limit their students in what they could access.

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  3. Oops. The link did not work. Read my post I'm Scared. Leave your counter argument there as a comment.

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  4. I did want to add to what you and Dr. Strange are talking about. You said: "Technology is important but we have to remember what we truly want our students to learn." I honestly can't think of a better place for students to get what we "truly want our students to learn" than the internet. Is it not the place where we can connect to those ideas and information that students learn about in school? I agree with you David that technology has many ways that students can abuse their tools such as the computer. I also agree that students need to be taught and shown what isn't appropriate in school. But, I think that technology is too important to be kept away from students.

    If I was given an assignment to write a research paper, and I couldn't use the internet, I doubt I could complete the assignment with full confidence in knowing I would get a passing grade. I would be very limited to any sources of any particular subject.

    I know that you are not suggesting that we completely limit students to not using the internet, but I wanted to use this example to show how important technology is to all students.

    I wanted to know if you have found any good connections using Twitter? If you have, then you can see how useful Twitter is for students or teachers to get to know real people and gain real information with professionals. If you haven't been using Twitter, then I hope you will give it a chance just as Dr. Strange did.

    I do understand your concerns with Facebook and Twitter, but I hope you can see how useful it is to connect with real people that are professionals in the subject area you want to learn.

    I'm not sure I understand what pen and paper have to do with students being successful in careers and life. Can you say more about that?

    Thanks for making your post thoughtful and worth commenting on! I always enjoy your posts!

    Stephen Akins

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