Educational Response for Feb. 10th- Mama Media!

Hello Again Everyone! Hope your day is going swell! Today, I will be talking about technolgy-and the lack there of-in a classroom.

I first want to talk about Rewired by Larry Rosen. Larry states that we are the iGeneration, the generation born with earbuds in our ears. Well, its true. Our generation is smothered with technolgy and we love-at least, I know I do.

("Gotta Share"-by Improv Everywhere)

 



Could you imagine life today without a cellphone? A computer? Most importantly, the internet? I know I can't. I've become dependent on technolgy. I'll admit. It is hard for me to go a steady period without technolgy. The most I can do is probabaly a week-thanks to those week long scout trips where there was to be no technology at all. And i found it relaxing! I could just sit down, read a book, and relax. No worries, no refreshing my internet to check for new notification, no emails-no responsibility.

With technology, we are avaliable at a moment's notice. We can check for an email, text, anything in a few flicks of the hand and people expect that. We are expected to get back to people immediately because they know we have access 24/7. Its a little bit scary and it raises our responsibilty.

However, while technology can be a stress-giver, it can also alleviate stress and make our life more easier. For example, I absolutely love having my email on my phone. It is so helpful and I can check for emails from the post office if I have a package and Im already near the post office. Or, if a teacher needs to see me, I can meet them while I am already out. It helps me by taking time off my hands that I would normally spending having to walk back to my apartment, log on, check my email, then venture out again.

Thanks to technology, we focus more on ourselves. Have I got a new messege? Do I have new followers? It is no wonder we find school boring sometimes. As Rosen brought up, schools are grossly behind in the modern times, relying on readings and the standard barf-back teaching methods.

(This is where I really talk about Education)

As teachers, we must-must-MUST keep up to date with technology. In such a fast-pace developing world we live in (Look at Apple, they have a new version every six weeks!) teachers must constantly search and find new medias in order to connect and help their students. Like when Mitchell tells Rosen about how his son Danny is bored in school, Mitchell says he tries to help by finding interesting websites but he believes it isn't his job.

Rant Ahead:
(Excuse me Mitchell? Did you really just say that? Parents are not suppose to help their kids find school work interesting? Really? Pardon me, but I will only see your kid for 50 minutes for 5 days a week while you see him for several hours 7 days a week. I apologize if you have to take a little time out of your day to help your son ,which you birthed into the world, learn. I forgot, teachers are the only ones who know how to raise kids. I realize teachers are there to help the students learn but the truth is, we don't see your kids as much as you do. We do our best with the time we are given but it is up to you-the parents- to help fill in the gaps. Teachers already put in countless hours outside of school grading papers, making lesson plans, and assisting students who need help, so sorry we don't put Danny on the top of our list.)

Ignoring my passionate rant, teachers really do need to make sure we do keep up with technology. I know we have busy workloads, but it really is our duty as educators to help teach kids (whose parents might have the same ignorant thought process as Mitchell) and find ways that effectively teach the kids. I realize we need to make our work interesting but sometimes there are times where teachers simply cannot and we rely on the parents for helping.
End of Rant

Anyway, back on topic- Gone are the days where textbooks and a pen and paper were all you needed. Kids don't learn that way anymore. With the internet at our hands, we search for our own information and find it our way. As teachers, we have to "live" like a student and be compatable with technology.

Will it be hard? I don't think so. Luckily, we as the iGeneration have grown up with technology. Our generation has started the internet trends and I doubt we will use less technolgy as we get older. In fact, I think I will still be checking Facebook in my old, old days.

However, as Kist brings up, we don't need technolgy in the classroom. His entire chapter was filled with lesson plans (alot of them I want to do in my classes cause they look like a lot of fun) that did not require digital medias or when they do, did not need many of them. For example, the idea about wathcing a movie for the particular screen shots was a brilliant idea! It would be easy enough obtaining a movie for the kids to watch and show it in class. Even if a school isnt very digital, at least they will have a T.V. on a cart with a DVD player. Heck, the school where I volunteer at is very, very, very old fashioned and does not have any tech. However, they still have those T.V.s on carts.

My overall point is this: We may not need to use many digital medias in our classroom but we must be the forerunners with technology and continiously discover and try new digital medias so we can connect and offer new medias to our students.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment below. Here are some questions if you'd like to answer:

1. Do you think Mitchell is just in his opinions that it isn't his job to make school interesting for his son? I realize teachers must do the most they can't, but shouldn't teachers be a part of their child's learning career?

2. How much technolgy do you feel you will use in a classroom?

3. Does Kist speak to you? What was your favorite activity of his?

Thanks again for reading! I hope you have a great day and rememeber...
~Add a little Streiff to your life~

-Joey S.