Blog Assignment # 4

Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
By Dr. Scott McLeod

Dr. McLeod’s blog is straight to the point in a blunt sort of way. It discusses the negatives of technology. How it is full of bad things like, sexting, cyberbulling and cheating. He discusses how can we trust students on the internet or with modern technology.

I personally have two young children, ages 7 and 3. They are both exposed to technology daily. Even at their young ages technology is something that is used everyday in their lives now. My son is in the 1st grade and uses a computer daily at school. He even has the option to come home and continue his classroom assignments at home via the internet. My daughter who is 3, (as well as my son) knows how to use my iphone. She can play games and even make calls (with little assistance). Before I know it she will be able to text. They also have hand held gaming systems. As you can see technology is already a way of life in our home. 

That being said, I believe you must look at the negatives of technology they way one would the bad things of this world. You teach children to, not to talk to strangers, not to watch bad television shows, to look both ways when crossing the street and to be polite to their friends and family. In my home we are also trying to raise God fearing children. So why would you not teach children these principals about technology? In my opinion that falls in the category of having and teaching good morals. A child/student studying or using technology must be taught to use this great advancement in life in appropriate ways. Adults should realize that this use of technology needs to be monitored whether it is in school or at home, or a 1st grader to a senior in high school. They are children, not adults and need to be taught and protected. It is to be hoped that, by having that guidance and protection they will grow to use technology for good and not the bad ways that exist in technology today and will always exist.

Technology cannot be removed from this generation or way of life. It is the way of life for not only us but these children and will always be a part of our lives. Students need more exposure to technology than they are currently receiving so they do not fall behind. Technology changes everyday and if students are not being taught how will they ever succeed in the world as professionals when they reach that point of life? It is in the hands of teachers and parents to protect, guide and teach children about technology. Technology holds such great knowledge and advancements for students, that they cannot afford to not learn.

The iSchool Initiative

www.ischoolinitiative.com

Travis Allen is a 17 year old high school student that has a wonderful idea. I love the idea of iSchool. I am personally a user of the iphone, iPod and mac computers by Apple. I did not even know that half of the applications (apps) that he discussed where even available. Mr. Allen has done his research in creating the iSchool idea.

Mr. Allen has taken every subject that is taught in high school and found the equivalent the iTouch for iSchool. He has even organized ways for teachers, students and parents to all know what is going and keep up with classes. Mr. Travis even took it a step further in safe guarding the students and blocking websites that are not associated with school. The iSchool opens the doors to do away with paper, books and pencils and pens. Think of the money this will save the school system in paper and books. It will also save the environment. Now the only thing is to get school systems on board and teachers technologically literate.


Lost Generation

May reaction to this video poem is that what is being said first is so true now. It seems that we live in a society that is a, quick fix, get things instantly and it is an all about me society. You do not have to look very far beyond your own personal social circle to see that type of society. People believe it is all about “me” and making “me” happy.

Yet, the flip side of this video reflects me personally and my way of life which is the opposite of the first side of the video poem. I believe God and my family come first over everything. Divorce is not an option. I will vote and have a say in my country and be involved in the politics of our government. I am trying to change the “me world” with my life, my family and now with my education to become a teacher.

This video/poem has a very intriguing presentation. Reading sentences that have the appearance of being very firm statements that cannot be changed. The reader then can read the poem backwards and it changes completely. Each sentence is very negative and derogatory but when read backwards they become positive and enlightening. I have never seen this done before and thoroughly enjoyed this poem. What a clever idea for a class assignment, reversed thinking, for my future students.




Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

The performance of ‘Lux Aurumque’ was beautiful and amazing. How amazing is technology and the internet that it helped Eric Whitacre bring together a 185 person choir to perform a song. I enjoyed this so much, that I had to do research and find out how he put this choir together. A young girl, had sent him a video over the internet of her singing, this is where his vision began for a virtual choir.

This choir consisted of people who never came together as group in the same room. They were from all over the world, sitting in front of a computer. Using the internet, Eric Whitacre was able to direct them in this beautiful song. This is so amazing, I just have to share it with everyone. It is so hard to believe that technology has brought us this far that we can have virtual choirs. I can only imagine what it will be like in the next five years.






Teaching In The 21st Century

This was a very interesting video. It discusses the very important topic of technology and its implications. I agree with this video. Teachers must engage their students. This today, means that this engagement is not going to be done by all the traditional methods but adding technology to these methods. Students today seem to be born with more technologically literate skills than the adults of today. Maybe that is because it is such a part of their lives and has been since they came into this world.

Students are changing the education system by their abilities to surpass educator’s knowledge of technology. Students can learn more and be better informed because of their access to all the different internet sites. Educators in the 21st century are going to have to catch up to these students and stay caught up to be great teachers. Technology is a way of life and needs to be applied to education.

Today’s technology is what is going to enable students to be effective producers in the job market of the future. How can we as educators sit back and not become technologically literate ourselves to better our students? The end of the video state “the question to ask is What Does It Mean To Teach?” As a future teacher, to me that means a lot, but most importantly, to teach is to always be a student too. Learn all I can.