Blog #3

A Vision of Students Today:

   I thought that this video was amazing. It really sums up the college experience and the stress that many students have throughout this experience. How do all of our activities add up to 26.5 hours a day, considering there are only 24 hours in a day? Some how, that is how it always seems in my life. While my college career may not be summed up completely by this video, many of the things stated were accurate. I will not be in debt, because I am fortunate enough to have a full scholarship that pays for my books. I will not be in a profession that does not exist today. I do not spend over three hours on facebook or even the internet every day. While my life may be different, I do understand many of the things in this video.
   As college students, it seems that there is never enough minutes in the day. Never enough time to eat; never enough time to sleep; never enough time to do homework, or Lord help us, even breathe. Technology certainly can speed up the day. Teachers can say what they need to say in a PowerPoint lecture probably 10 times faster than they can write that same lecture on a chalkboard. It is true to say that the phrase that was said in 1841 about the chalkboard, could very easily have been said about the internet.

It’s Not About the Technology:

   I completely agree that technology is important, but it is not where teaching begins. In order for technology to even be used in a useful way, teachers have to lay the ground work for learning. As Hines says, many teachers in the field have been teaching for years upon years and have not partaken in any “learning”. There are new theories and skills and tools that many teachers are not aware exist. I think that it is very important for teachers to be learners, not just while they are obtaining their degree, but throughout their entire career. If I had a dime for every time I have heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”, I would certainly be a rich woman. I agree that this is a great philosophy for teachers to live by. I love the way Hines compares teaching with the physics principle of work: if an object does not move, no matter how much force has been applied, no work has been done. You can get up and lecture and “teach” all day long, but if no students have actually learned anything, then what good have you done? This concept reminded me a lot of the “burp-back teaching” that we dislike so much in this class!
   Technology will not be effective without a good teacher. Wow! This is beyond true! I had two classes my junior year of high school that used Smart Boards. In one class, we used this piece of technology everyday; the students got to experience more interactive learning and the teacher used this board to further learning. In the other class however, the teacher did not seem to know what they were doing and therefore simply ended up using it as a projector, projecting her notes for us to see on the board rather than a projector screen. It is so important for teachers to be willing and appreciative and excited about technology in schools! While technology CAN be very important and useful, learning can be done without it. Teachers who encourage their students to be creative and critical thinkers can also prepare their students to be successful, even without technology. As Hines says, a teacher who can do this and use technology in a productive, positive way… that leads to endless possibilities!

Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? :

   Hmm; this post certainly got me thinking. With technology playing such a huge role in our society, and this role grows every day, I would venture to say that yes, a technologically illiterate teachers is equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn’t know how to read and write. As stated in the blog, this assumption may be extreme, but I do believe that it is true. Now I do not believe that every teacher should be able to use every piece of technology available, but I do believe that they should be able to use every piece of technology that they ask their students to use. How can we teach something if we ourselves do not know, or are not willing to learn?
   As Terry Freedman says: “we have to stop being so nice… some educators are potentially jeopardizing the chances of our youngsters.” We as teachers and future teachers have to remember every day that we are preparing our students for their future… not tomorrow. It really put it in a new prospective when he said that the kindergartners who started school this year will be the graduating class of 2020 (obviously this was a few years back; they would be the class of 2023). It is very easy to forget that these students are going to be our future and we have a responsibility to teach them with every resource that we can. Technology plays a huge role in our society today, but imagine the role it will play in 2023.

Gary's Social Media Count:

   The rate at which these numbers increase is absolutely incredible. You would never think that technology has such a huge role in our society, but the numbers don't lie. As a future teacher, these numbers tell me that I have to do everything that I can to become technologically literate and do everything that I can to include technology in my classroom. With students using technology as much as they do at home, if it is not used in schools then students are going to begin getting bored.