Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Why We Need To Teach Technology in School?
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? Before September 8, add your thoughts in the comments section. You are invited to comment on other colleagues' comments.
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ReplyDeleteThis is so true! Think of all the new technology that is in the world and in the classroom. The first time a pencil sharpener showed up on the wall was a big deal and now the next thing will be a virtual tour. We have come a long way. I can't believe all the rest of you watched the video so fast??
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ReplyDeleteWhile the point of the video (and the class) is obviously about using technology, it's really about *engaging* kids. To this day I remember a project I was assigned in AP English as a senior in high school. I remember it because the assignment required us to read a book, a poem and watch a movie with similar themes and then write a paper connecting those themes. As a student I remember really enjoying the assignment because it was about it made me think and create (higher order skills) as opposed to the normal memorization/recitation that is often such a big part of school. If technology is required for us to engage students in this way, we need to make use of it in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe video is correct: we do need to embrace technology. Being in classrooms this fall has been enlightening to me at least in the ineffectiveness and apathy of many of the teachers I have observed. If teachers are apathetic, I can see them being resistant to using new technologies. On the other hand, the examples used in the video were kind of misleading I think. The technologies shown in the video did not require advocacy videos to be promoted, they were successful by themselves. Ultimately, I think we should incorporate these technologies in the classroom, because I think they will improve student success, and I think a barrier to their implementation is simply teacher apathy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the video that as a teacher we should help students learn the new technology however how are we going to train teachers to all these new technologies that are out there? Alos, In one of the class I am observing, students are working on word processing Project (2007) but the 2010/11 version of same word is out there and I think it is good to learn 2007 but it seems out dated with the new version.
ReplyDeleteIn Korea, there is a place every corner of the streets that kids really love to go – kids from elementary to college students, sometimes adults -. Video game room. Kids like to go there with their friends to play the latest fancy games. So, anyhow, they are engaged in newest technology one way or another. Also, they are very quick to learn new technology. As a teacher who does not love technology, when I teach technology related lesson to my students, I feel that I teach something that I don’t know very well to students who might know better than me and then I stick to traditional way of teaching. But it is time to stop it and try to do what I have to do. In the video, I found out that there is at least one thing I can do and have to do. “We need to be there to make their experience with technology safe.” I like it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point that the creator of the video makes: kids are ready and we need to adjust or we will be left behind and they will suffer for it. However, I would like to go a step beyond safety in the use of technology. We cannot let our dependency on technology cripple us to the point that we could not survive without it. Case in point: my younger brother spends way too much time sitting in front of a computer playing video games. He has become dependent on that technology for entertainment and most likely his brain is being wired to enjoy the numbness of not thinking for oneself. Can any of you go a day without feeling the need to check your phone? Your email? How many of our students actually read books instead of just waiting for the movie come out so that they don't have to engage their imagination? Maybe it's just me, but I am not sure that complete technology integration is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe video basically states that if we do not stay up-to-date on technology we will get left behind. As an immigrant to technology, I would need multiple hours of training to stay up with progress. I believe my 12 year old knows more than I do.
ReplyDeleteEven though technology can be a good thing, I think that people should also know how to look up things manually, such in the library. Another example would be lab workers. They are used to putting their samples in a machine and getting a reading. They should be able to do their work manually also just in case their machine goes down. Patients lives could be at stake if they are not able to apply their knowledge manually.
The video also states that we should be able to teach students to critically analyze information. I don't think I even know how to do this.
I was at a seminar last Spring and the speaker talked a bit about cell phones and computers. She indicated that the kids she had group meetings with were quiet and reserved until she said text me your questions. Then the fingers were flying. She basically said the kids are losing their abilities to verbalize their thoughts because it is easier to type what you feel.
I definitely agree with the statement in this video that said something like "Use technology to engage your students or they will use it on their own". I think kids are intrigued by any form of technology and believe that they are engaged by simply using a tool that they are not used to using most of the time. In an age where networking and technological communication run our world, I think that attempting to prevent students from using technology is a battle we're never going to win. In order for us to engage our students, I believe we need to encourage the use of technology in classrooms to motivate them. A specific example from my particular field is the use of ipods during PE class. The goal of every PE class should be to motivate students to be live active lifestyles throughout their lives. The fact is, most students (or adults) are not going to spend time working out unless they are listening to motivating music that is personal for every individual. So, in my opinion, students should be encouraged to use their ipods during physical activities in class. Besides, many students will continually try to wear their ipod disregarding the current rules, so why not embrace technology instead of fight it.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video and reading the posts thus far I get the feeling that people think they need technology in order to engage students. I agree with Annette’s point about the students texting questions to an instructor versus actually participating in a class discussion. I feel like people in general are discounting the importance of engaging in actual face-to-face encounters. It is remarkable that we can communicate messages to anyone, anywhere, at any time, but I believe in general people really need to get over using technology to communicate as much as they do. If teachers can’t effectively engage students without Smart Boards, laptops, etc., I am not sure how I feel about teaching as a profession anymore.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn’t mean there is no place for technology. There are all kinds of thought-provoking applications, like Tara’s idea of using a iPod in P.E. I like where that one is going… but I also think that it helps to know and understand the value of the technology we use today. As the classic example, kids learn how to do math problems long-hand before punching the numbers onto a calculator. In general, it is imperative that they understand the process and not just the steps needed to find the answer. If we just taught kids how to use a calculator and not how to add or subtract, then we are doing our children and society a disservice.
I think technology holds a very important place in the educational system, but I do not think all education needs to be run through technology.
I'm with Ray. We are at a point of saturation with technology used for communication. I think this will naturally recede a bit. I agree with Rachel also that students should be able to perform tasks manually as well as through technology. At this point in our history, technology seems to be being used to engage students where they feel comfortable. As the tech evolves, I think it will move toward not simply making things easier and more accessible but become a way of innovating that would not otherwise be possible.
ReplyDeleteAs for the video, it reinforced a lot of the things that parents worry about. Will my child know things about technology that make me appear ignorant or out of touch? Can they access things that are simply inappropriate? How can I protect them from the destructive uses of technology?
Technology in the classroom needs to be embraced and implemented appropriately. So, yes, I agree with the video. Technology should not promote impersonal collaboration (i.e. texting answers or questions while in class) as that does not seem appropriate nor should it impede the learning process. Avoiding this can only be done by effectively training teachers to use technology and keeping up with advancements of these tools, such as computers and software.
ReplyDeleteI like what is said about being able to use tech, but also being able to do things manually. I think it is important to be able to write a letter without the aide of spellcheck. I think it is nice to understand that some things need to be said instead of emailed. Technology is great and can make life much better in many ways, butif we become overly reliant on this it will end up hurting people on the whole.
ReplyDeleteAlright, I just wrote out a very eloquent comment to all of this, and my computer for some reason did not approve of my response and ERASED IT. That said, I will now attempt to resurrect my commentary in another attempt to post.
ReplyDeleteMy comment had two major points. The first is that I feel like technology goes further than being literate. By keeping up with the trends, for example not denying that twitter is now a part of journalism or that graphic novels and films are a part of literature, we make the school environment less sterile and detached and more relevant in the real world.
Secondly, as a teacher, we are getting paid to be competent. I feel like if I told my cooperating teacher, "Hey I know I have this smartboard, but I don't know how to use it," that wouldn't cut it. I'm to come in before school and figure out how to use it. End of story. We are making OURSELVES more relevant to the world by being literate.
Good video.
I believe that using and exposing students to the latest technology is our duty to our students. Insulating them from such discoveries based on slippery-slope argumentation holds them back now and it will certainly catch-up with them later when such skills may be expected of new hires for specific jobs.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do acknowledge the epidemic of ADD that probably is largely the result of text messaging/iPods/internet. This is indeed a problem but with every new technology there are always positive and negative effects associated with it. In this case I think that denying the integration of new technologies is fighting a losing battle.
Lastly, the video was sort of odd don't you think? It was a very passive, random advocacy video for a very broad message.
Watching this video made me think about all of the advancements we have made and how far we have come.
ReplyDeleteI think some people,especially in my generation, take technology for granted because we grew up with it. We use technology in our daily lives and we don't even think about it. It has made our lives so much easier. The only time we think about it is when the power goes out and we are suddenly left with no computer, television, phone, and it makes us realize how we can't live without those things. I agree with Rachel, we have become so dependent on technology. It has changed the way we do everything including communicate. A lot of people now don't even have face to face conversations or talk on the phone anymore. They communicate through e-mail, text, facebook, and twitter.
I agree with the video that if we don't adapt to new technology we can fall behind. We have to keep up with the changing world we live in. This is why technology education in schools is important. On the other hand, I also agree with Ray that teachers should be able to engage students without technology and that kids need to understand the process. With all the technology that is out there it makes things too easy for students. Most kids have a cell phone with a calculator,internet, e-mail, and many other things. They have all the answers in the palm of their hand. If they don't know an answer they just goolge it. Technology should be used in the classroom, but not to the point where kids can no longer think on their own because they are so dependent on technology.
I believe that every student in the near future will have his own computer and no more notebooks. We have to be ready to use technology in classrooms very effectively and on task. I watched a classroom in the USA that has a connection via satellite with another classroom in Japan where students were able to communicate. That was amazing and great experience for school students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Theresa, we are just accustomed to technology because most of us have grown up with it. When I am on the Mac, however, it is foreign to me and frustrating to understand, I am much more proficient with the PC. There is so much techology around us today and it would be silly not to incorporate it into our teaching.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I am fascinated with technology as much as scared of it. However, I would like to focus on the positive and what good technology will bring to human race in general and to education in particular. If we all take this approach, we will get the best of technology. Overall, I agree with what was presented in the video and I believe that technology is going to hugely impact education. It will speed up the learning process and save our environment, as we go paperless. However, we also have to adopt new ways of recycling the tremendous amount of hardware that surpluses or dates. Talking about hardware, manufacturing may also impact the environment, another problem that has to be addressed.
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