Thursday, February 3, 2011

Blog Assignment 3

1. Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
technology in the classroom




This movie was fairly accurate for the most part in capturing my college experience. I felt like I was spending hundreds of dollars on books that I never touched. Much of the knowledge I received from college I feel like I taught myself and much of the material that I have learned, I have forgotten.
My college experience did have some differences than the video as well. I was fortunate enough to have teachers that knew me personally. There were a few exceptions to this, such as my enormous biology classes that had more than 120 students in them, but even then the professors made an effort to get to know you. To some extent you as a student have to make the effort to get to know your teachers. If I were to add to this movie to make it more of my college experience I would add to where it says your neighbor pays for class but never comes. I would insert maybe why they never come. There are many factors such as partying or no motivation but that varies from school to school. For the most part, this was extremely accurate.
2. "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
I absolutely agree with Kelly Hines about this post. She is right about technology being a huge part of teaching, but in the end it's not the technology after all. Teachers must be learners and they must teach with learning in mind. You must as a teacher be continually learning yourself. You can't assume that just because you've taught the students something repeatedly that they have necessarily learned it. You have to have learning in mind as you teach.
The truth is, we need technology in the world today. At the end of the day, it isn't technology in the schools that help the students learn, it is the teachers. The technology can be a very helpful tool to expand the learning and the teaching, but it is ultimately left up to the teacher to help the students truly learn and understand. It is easy to get caught up in the technology today. It is powerful stuff! Technology  doesn't teach the students, teachers do.
3. Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
I totally understand Karl Fisch's view on this topic. I do however think it is a bit extreme. Nowadays It is true that you can barely do anything without technology, but technology is constantly changing. It is near impossible to keep up with it. The older teachers for the most part, have even more of a challenge with this issue. Many of them can barely grasp the concept of a computer much less all the other technology that comes along with it.
I think that absolutely teachers must have some knowledge of technology and should be able to use and teach with the technological tools that are given to them. However, to say that everyone must be technologically literate is a huge statement. I don't consider myself technologically literate yet. I am striving towards being technologically literate but I know I have a ways to go. I know that I have far more knowledge about technology than many teachers that I know and they get along just fine in the classroom. Teachers should be learners and should grasp what is available to them if they so choose to. I think if they feel like they can do just fine without it, then more power to them.
4. Gary Hayes Social Media Count
This means so much to my professional career. It is a little intimidating to be honest. It is also very eye opening. The future possibilities of this are amazing. I still have another year left in school and these numbers are changing every single second. That blows my mind. I can't imagine what the numbers will be in a year but this is some powerful stuff.



1 comment:

  1. I love the way you set up your post! The text and pictures draw the reader in. I completely agree that the vision of students video accurately captures college life. Everyone in college can relate to most of the signs that were being held up. I too thought that Fisch's point was a bit over the top! Great post!

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