The first article I liked, but I'm not sure how how reliable the information about the computer usage is. Teachers interpretation appropriate computer usage to benefit instruction can vary. Teachers and students may not also be completely honest. The teachers that used their resources so well, had a lot of time to plan and b creative with her resources. I don't even have a planning period at school. I would love to have that kind of time to use technology more effectively.
The second article I touched base on some very good points. I don't think that a lot of teachers are prepared appropriately to use all the technology that is now available. During my undergraduate program we rarely practices using technology. If the school introduces a new program or resource it's usually done during the teachers planning period. So you maybe have an hour and a half to become familiar with the new technology.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Week 4 articles- Personal thoughts from Emmy
I really like the 2 articles :” Examining Teacher technology use: Implications for Pre-service and In-service teacher preparation” by Russell, M. et al, and “High Access and Low Use of Technologies in High School Classrooms: Explaining an Apparent Paradox” by Cuban L, Kirkpatrick, H., & Peck, C. These articles help illuminate some long held belief about teachers’ integration of ICT in teaching and learning. The authors of both articles shared the position that access to equipment and software seldom lead to widespread teacher and student use. While in the 2nd article, the authors analyzed the challenges of teachers when integrating technology in their teaching through examining 2 high schools located in Northern California’s Silicon Valley, the authors of the 1st article presented their ideas about pre-service teacher preparation. The ideas are very useful for shaping directions for ICT development in education for education leaders and teachers and at the same time, make us “digital immigrants” feel more optimistic about the future.
After reading these articles, I have some personal thoughts:
First ,people tend to think that improving education quality for 21st century means to increase accessibility to ICT and increase budget for that. However, through these articles, we understand that availability of hardware and software are not the decisive factor to the success. The most important thing is how teacher use these resources for instructional purposes. Therefore, education leaders need to have a balanced investment strategy between infrastructure and professional development.
Second, for a long time, people emphasized a lot on professional development in schools as a solution to promote the integration of technology in teaching. In fact, the teachers have to face a lot of challenges which makes it not easy for them to integrate technology in instruction. As the authors pointed out in the article, the first few years of teaching are so challenging: the teachers have to develop behavior management techniques, become familiar with curriculum, adapt to the school culture which do not allow them to have time to explore ways to integrate technology in their teaching.
Third, people talk a lot about the technophobia of teachers as one of the reasons which impede the integration process of technology in instruction. However, personally, I think, this is not a matter we have to worry too much about, because technology nowadays develops to such a level that no one can be doubtful about its importance in people’s life. We cannot imagine our life without technology, especially, for young people. Therefore, as a matter of course, teachers nowadays understand that they need to integrate technology in their teaching to make their lessons more interesting and effective for their students if they do not want to be left behind. If they don’t try, they will be excluded by the market.
Fourth, this article is food for thought for those who design pre-service training in instructional technology for teachers. The question raised here is how we reform our pre service training for them in terms of content, methodology, assessment system… because with the development of instruction technology, the current pre-service training curriculum is not appropriate, for example, nowadays we need another way to evaluate our students. It is not reasonable to expect teachers to change their teaching methodology to meet the demands of 21st century education while at university level they are not prepared for that. I totally agree with the viewpoint of the authors that preparing teachers to teach with technology is to move away from focusing on teaching technology and instead focus on teaching with technology. The 6 categories regarding teacher technology use is very useful for instruction designers to examine and incorporate in pre service training curriculum.
After reading these articles, I have some personal thoughts:
First ,people tend to think that improving education quality for 21st century means to increase accessibility to ICT and increase budget for that. However, through these articles, we understand that availability of hardware and software are not the decisive factor to the success. The most important thing is how teacher use these resources for instructional purposes. Therefore, education leaders need to have a balanced investment strategy between infrastructure and professional development.
Second, for a long time, people emphasized a lot on professional development in schools as a solution to promote the integration of technology in teaching. In fact, the teachers have to face a lot of challenges which makes it not easy for them to integrate technology in instruction. As the authors pointed out in the article, the first few years of teaching are so challenging: the teachers have to develop behavior management techniques, become familiar with curriculum, adapt to the school culture which do not allow them to have time to explore ways to integrate technology in their teaching.
Third, people talk a lot about the technophobia of teachers as one of the reasons which impede the integration process of technology in instruction. However, personally, I think, this is not a matter we have to worry too much about, because technology nowadays develops to such a level that no one can be doubtful about its importance in people’s life. We cannot imagine our life without technology, especially, for young people. Therefore, as a matter of course, teachers nowadays understand that they need to integrate technology in their teaching to make their lessons more interesting and effective for their students if they do not want to be left behind. If they don’t try, they will be excluded by the market.
Fourth, this article is food for thought for those who design pre-service training in instructional technology for teachers. The question raised here is how we reform our pre service training for them in terms of content, methodology, assessment system… because with the development of instruction technology, the current pre-service training curriculum is not appropriate, for example, nowadays we need another way to evaluate our students. It is not reasonable to expect teachers to change their teaching methodology to meet the demands of 21st century education while at university level they are not prepared for that. I totally agree with the viewpoint of the authors that preparing teachers to teach with technology is to move away from focusing on teaching technology and instead focus on teaching with technology. The 6 categories regarding teacher technology use is very useful for instruction designers to examine and incorporate in pre service training curriculum.
Discussion 2
Cuban- I cannot believe how many teachers do not use technology in the classroom, even when they have access to it. Maybe computers aren’t appropriate for all projects, but they could be beneficial for many. I know that it is difficult to have access to technology for many schools due to funding, but if you have the technology, then you should use it! I believe that technology should be used in all subject area classrooms. It can be very beneficial and also a great way to hold student attention and keep them interested during a lesson.
Russell- I did not realize how much the federal expenditures for technology in the schools has increased since 1995; $729 million is a lot of money! I do believe that technology can affect teaching and learning in a positive way. Technology provides access to opportunities that can expand student learning. There are many tools and applications in a computer that can enhance a lesson plan. I also believe that students are more interested in the lesson when technology is involved. All teachers should be exposed to new technology instructional methods and be able to implement them into the classroom.
Discussion 2
The Cuban article was a bit dated, but I definitely think that there were some things in there that are still relevant today. I found the opening of this article with the teacher anecdote--the use of an overhead projector as a spotlight--quite interesting. Sure overhead projectors are old technology, but the teacher, Alison Piro, manipulated it in a way that benefitted her and her students. Piro herself was fascinating to me. She really seemed to grasp that students should use computers and other technology to their benefit, but Piro also seemed to recognize that technology in combination with pen and paper created a better product. It reminded me of having teachers request that a book, newspaper, or magazine source had to be included in a research paper. In other words, I couldn't use only internet sources. During my internship, I was delighted to find out that high school teachers still do this. Another thing that Piro mentioned that I liked was her assertion that one of the most important things a teacher can do is pick the right assignment--which means that we must be especially attuned to what engages our students.
This article also made me wonder about the obsession we have with the students to computers ratio. For the last 10+ years, we have been concerned with minimizing this ratio without fully considering how beneficial it would be. As Piro pointed out, if all we are doing with computers when we have them is word processing, what's the point? With recent studies suggesting that students are not gaining anything by an increase of technology in the classroom, why do we bother? I have to assume that we teachers are not effectively using the available technology to engage our students. I guess to have it is one thing; to use it properly is another.
This article also made me wonder about the obsession we have with the students to computers ratio. For the last 10+ years, we have been concerned with minimizing this ratio without fully considering how beneficial it would be. As Piro pointed out, if all we are doing with computers when we have them is word processing, what's the point? With recent studies suggesting that students are not gaining anything by an increase of technology in the classroom, why do we bother? I have to assume that we teachers are not effectively using the available technology to engage our students. I guess to have it is one thing; to use it properly is another.
Discussion 2
Cuban article:
I thought it was interesting that the article points out how some schools that report using computers or technology in the classroom, report usage. Just when the computer is turned on. The computer may or may not be being used to vary instruction. I find myself teaching in the same ways I did before my students had laptops. We still "take notes" just on computers, they still do "drill and practice," just on computers. Have I really let the laptops shape my instruction? The answer is probably no. I also thought about the teacher, Ms. Piro, who only taught 2 periods of the same class section everyday, then had the rest of the day to plan. If I had half a day to plan everyday, I'm sure every lesson I taught would be inspiring and electrifying like hers. I have two preps and 90 minutes of planning. I am envious that she has so much planning put into her lessons, but I also feel that I am stretched too thin as it is. It takes a lot of time to prepare a technology rich and captivating lesson.
Russell article:
I agree with a lot of Russell's opinions on teachers not integrating technology appropriately. But I don't entirely agree with the statement about teacher education programs not preparing students to use technology in the classroom. In my undergraduate program here at Auburn, the Mathematics Education department had specific classes for incorporating technology into the curriculum. We also had curriculum and teaching classes that incorporated using technology. I know how to use technology and do so to the best of my ability, but I also find that I run out of time to use the technology in enrichment activities. In Alabama we barely have time to cover the state course of study. I find it quite easy to use technology as a teacher in the classroom (such as the 6 categories), but giving the students assignments that incorporate a higher level of computer interaction is a task I find difficult.
~Danielle
I thought it was interesting that the article points out how some schools that report using computers or technology in the classroom, report usage. Just when the computer is turned on. The computer may or may not be being used to vary instruction. I find myself teaching in the same ways I did before my students had laptops. We still "take notes" just on computers, they still do "drill and practice," just on computers. Have I really let the laptops shape my instruction? The answer is probably no. I also thought about the teacher, Ms. Piro, who only taught 2 periods of the same class section everyday, then had the rest of the day to plan. If I had half a day to plan everyday, I'm sure every lesson I taught would be inspiring and electrifying like hers. I have two preps and 90 minutes of planning. I am envious that she has so much planning put into her lessons, but I also feel that I am stretched too thin as it is. It takes a lot of time to prepare a technology rich and captivating lesson.
Russell article:
I agree with a lot of Russell's opinions on teachers not integrating technology appropriately. But I don't entirely agree with the statement about teacher education programs not preparing students to use technology in the classroom. In my undergraduate program here at Auburn, the Mathematics Education department had specific classes for incorporating technology into the curriculum. We also had curriculum and teaching classes that incorporated using technology. I know how to use technology and do so to the best of my ability, but I also find that I run out of time to use the technology in enrichment activities. In Alabama we barely have time to cover the state course of study. I find it quite easy to use technology as a teacher in the classroom (such as the 6 categories), but giving the students assignments that incorporate a higher level of computer interaction is a task I find difficult.
~Danielle
Discussion 2
Cubal Article:
"More access will lead to more use..."
I found this quote to be untrue. Just because you have the access to technology does not mean that you are going to use it more. Teachers should be trained and learn how to use and incorporate particular technologies in their lessons. The article went on to make the point that even teachers who have the technology avaliable, they are not using it. No, computers are not for every assignment like the article said, but if you have the access to it and know how to implement it in your lessons, you most definitely should. Most students are interested in technology and want to use it to do work in the classroom. I think I am lucky because my major focuses on using technology in the classroom and I am fairly comfortable with using technology in my classroom.
Russell Article:
An interesting point I found in this article was that computer use is harming children and not allowing them to learn. Once again, I feel that this comes into play with many teachers lacking the information and preparation to use technology in their classrooms. I would even go as far to say that new teachers just coming out of college would have had (or should have had) at least one class on educational media and would be more up to date than veteran teachers in the schools now. However, the article made it pretty clear that even new teachers are not using technology in their classrooms to its fullest potential.
"More access will lead to more use..."
I found this quote to be untrue. Just because you have the access to technology does not mean that you are going to use it more. Teachers should be trained and learn how to use and incorporate particular technologies in their lessons. The article went on to make the point that even teachers who have the technology avaliable, they are not using it. No, computers are not for every assignment like the article said, but if you have the access to it and know how to implement it in your lessons, you most definitely should. Most students are interested in technology and want to use it to do work in the classroom. I think I am lucky because my major focuses on using technology in the classroom and I am fairly comfortable with using technology in my classroom.
Russell Article:
An interesting point I found in this article was that computer use is harming children and not allowing them to learn. Once again, I feel that this comes into play with many teachers lacking the information and preparation to use technology in their classrooms. I would even go as far to say that new teachers just coming out of college would have had (or should have had) at least one class on educational media and would be more up to date than veteran teachers in the schools now. However, the article made it pretty clear that even new teachers are not using technology in their classrooms to its fullest potential.
Cuban article
It is so intriguing how technology has been implemented into many modern classrooms. Sadly, there are the lack of uses of technology presented in articles for the use of student comprehension. Cuban's article suggests that many teachers have the technology present but are limited in the uses do to several factors, including the lack of teacher ability to use technology.
To use projector's in todays classrooms as a sole means of technology serves as a limiting factor to learning by those students that are being taught. This serves as a sole principle to why teachers should take more classes to become familiar with the new uses of technology. More importantly, the cuban article sends a picture to awaken teachers, administrators and policymakers to the fact that technology is important in the classroom and students suffer when technology is not included.
Interestingly, the Russell article is so much related in substance to the Cuban article. Teachers need to be more involved with technology.
To use projector's in todays classrooms as a sole means of technology serves as a limiting factor to learning by those students that are being taught. This serves as a sole principle to why teachers should take more classes to become familiar with the new uses of technology. More importantly, the cuban article sends a picture to awaken teachers, administrators and policymakers to the fact that technology is important in the classroom and students suffer when technology is not included.
Interestingly, the Russell article is so much related in substance to the Cuban article. Teachers need to be more involved with technology.
Discussion 2 - Week 4 Articles
Examining Teacher Technology Use Article
I agree with most of the points made in this article. When I began my first teaching job, we were sent to a few teacher professional development sessions on using technology. However, these sessions were a training tool on how to use the software correctly or how to correctly make a product. The focus was not on how to use what we learned and integrate our training into a lesson. The article doesn't address the many things that schools have to train teachers about. Yes, we do need more technology training. For example during the past few years in Alabama, the Alabama Reading Initiative was introduced and every teacher in the state has had to go to several training sessions about teaching reading effectively. I think that schools are trying to do their best to educate teachers about technology, but it is difficult juggling professional development time. I do wish that teachers could use technology more effectively. Last year, one teacher that I co-taught with "branched out" and let students type their own poems in Microsoft Word. Would the authors of this article see this as a use of technology? This was an older teacher, a digital immigrant, and she thought that doing this was a great use of technology. I agree to a point, but with the things that we are able to do with computers these days, a word document seemed rather dim in comparison. As I said, it is a difficult juggling act, and teachers are feeling the pressure to perform and use things that they are not comfortable with to meet the demands from school systems.
High Access and Low Use of Technologies Article
The first thing that struck me about this article is the teacher describing the students using the internet to conduct research for projects. This was interesting to me because most of the classes that I have taught with had the children use books exclusively to conduct research. It was almost as if they expected the children to already know how to conduct research using the internet. The yearly standardized tests also assessed the student's knowledge of research skills using books intended for research (atlas, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac). Even though using computer skills is more practical and probably more realistic, that is not what they are tested on, so that skill isn't focused. However, this article is about high school, where I have no experience whatsoever! But most of the reasons that teachers didn't use the technology still seem to resonate today, even in elementary school and even though the article is a little old. I do agree that we need to teach and use technology in a way that is focused on doing more than word processing. As I mentioned before, some schools seem to be teaching non-computer skills. A majority of the students are probably able to look up a topic using Google, but hand them a book to use a table of context or index and they are thrown for a loop. What are those things anyway? But does that matter, since things like magazines, newspapers, and books are slowly becoming obsolete? What do we teach and what do we use? Who gets to say? Again, I think there is more to teaching with technology than looking up something on Google and then typing a report. I also had my math teacher friend say that using a basic PowerPoint is just an overhead slide on the computer. I can't argue with that. Should that count as teaching with technology? Teachers need training to deal with these issues, and there does not seem to be enough time or money.
I agree with most of the points made in this article. When I began my first teaching job, we were sent to a few teacher professional development sessions on using technology. However, these sessions were a training tool on how to use the software correctly or how to correctly make a product. The focus was not on how to use what we learned and integrate our training into a lesson. The article doesn't address the many things that schools have to train teachers about. Yes, we do need more technology training. For example during the past few years in Alabama, the Alabama Reading Initiative was introduced and every teacher in the state has had to go to several training sessions about teaching reading effectively. I think that schools are trying to do their best to educate teachers about technology, but it is difficult juggling professional development time. I do wish that teachers could use technology more effectively. Last year, one teacher that I co-taught with "branched out" and let students type their own poems in Microsoft Word. Would the authors of this article see this as a use of technology? This was an older teacher, a digital immigrant, and she thought that doing this was a great use of technology. I agree to a point, but with the things that we are able to do with computers these days, a word document seemed rather dim in comparison. As I said, it is a difficult juggling act, and teachers are feeling the pressure to perform and use things that they are not comfortable with to meet the demands from school systems.
High Access and Low Use of Technologies Article
The first thing that struck me about this article is the teacher describing the students using the internet to conduct research for projects. This was interesting to me because most of the classes that I have taught with had the children use books exclusively to conduct research. It was almost as if they expected the children to already know how to conduct research using the internet. The yearly standardized tests also assessed the student's knowledge of research skills using books intended for research (atlas, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac). Even though using computer skills is more practical and probably more realistic, that is not what they are tested on, so that skill isn't focused. However, this article is about high school, where I have no experience whatsoever! But most of the reasons that teachers didn't use the technology still seem to resonate today, even in elementary school and even though the article is a little old. I do agree that we need to teach and use technology in a way that is focused on doing more than word processing. As I mentioned before, some schools seem to be teaching non-computer skills. A majority of the students are probably able to look up a topic using Google, but hand them a book to use a table of context or index and they are thrown for a loop. What are those things anyway? But does that matter, since things like magazines, newspapers, and books are slowly becoming obsolete? What do we teach and what do we use? Who gets to say? Again, I think there is more to teaching with technology than looking up something on Google and then typing a report. I also had my math teacher friend say that using a basic PowerPoint is just an overhead slide on the computer. I can't argue with that. Should that count as teaching with technology? Teachers need training to deal with these issues, and there does not seem to be enough time or money.
Discussion 2
Cuban article - It was shocking for me to read that teachers who have access to technology are not using it anymore than if they did not have access to technology. This article is more relevant to teachers who do not teach keyboarding. I see the points made about troubleshooting, computers booting up, and getting the technology set up. Most classrooms are to be equipped with projectors and a teaching computer and those classes who do not have one computer per student can allow students to complete demonstrations on the teaching computer. This allows for teachers to differentiate instruction and it keeps things interesting for the students. Being a career and technical teacher, I am priviledged to have one computer per student and it allows the students to follow along on their computers with what I am doing on the screen. I think we definitely need to encourage integrating technology into all types of classrooms.
Russell article - This article surprised me by saying that most new teachers do not use technology in their classroom as those teachers who have been teaching longer. I think it is important for all teachers to have a class like 7210. If every undergraduate student in the education program took a class like this, they would be able to learn multiple ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Most of these technologies are simple to implement and teach to the students. Most students these days already know how to use wiki's, blogs, internet, and Microsoft Office components. If the new teachers learned how to create lessons that are technology based while in college, it would be easier to teach with them while they are in their own classroom.
Russell article - This article surprised me by saying that most new teachers do not use technology in their classroom as those teachers who have been teaching longer. I think it is important for all teachers to have a class like 7210. If every undergraduate student in the education program took a class like this, they would be able to learn multiple ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Most of these technologies are simple to implement and teach to the students. Most students these days already know how to use wiki's, blogs, internet, and Microsoft Office components. If the new teachers learned how to create lessons that are technology based while in college, it would be easier to teach with them while they are in their own classroom.
Discussion 2
I think both articles bring up some relevant points about teachers' use of technology in the classroom. I appreciate that "Examining Teacher Technology Use" attempts to actually define what technology use is, explaining that it can be broken down into different criteria and that how one person defines/explains technology use may be different for another person. Perhaps because of my training, I no longer think of e-mail, maintaining records, or just using Microsoft Word as technology use. Those are everday things for me (though I realize that they may not be for other people). When I think of technology use and the purpose of this class for me, it is to be able to learn how to integrate different and newer types of technology into my lessons. This may include technologies I use to prepare lessons and broadcast information as well as learning activities I want my students to engage in. I think this involves looking at the use of technology for practical purposes, and I think we are trying to stretch our imaginations in how we can reach and engage kids with the aid of technology. I strongly agree with this article that belief is a major factor in how and why teachers use technology in the classroom. It's something we have to value in order to use. I think this is related to the other article's findings that access to technology does not necessarily lead to teacher and student use of technology. I also think this is why there is some discrepancy in the results about new teachers' use and views towards technology. For the most part, we (new teachers) have grown up and been trained to use technology, we are confident using it, so we understand the obvious benefits it has for classroom use. We have also been trained to incorporate student-centered practices in our classrooms, perhaps furthering our value of technology's possibilities in the classroom. On the other hand, we've also had technology "mess up" on us, and we know how annoying that can be.
In the other article, I think one of the most important and realistic points it makes is that teachers lack time to implement technology in their classrooms. It's not that they don't know how to use it or that they aren't comfortable using it, it's that they have to set everything up, or wait for their students to boot up their computers, troubleshoot problems, and on occassion, quickly implement a back-up plan. Lesson planning takes a lot of time as is, but when you have to plan a back-up plan on top of your regular plans, I can imagine that it is extremely time consuming and sometimes frustrating. You may have to take away instruction time in order to "set up" the instruction time. And even if we are fortunate enough to work in schools with high access to different forms of technology, we may not have fast and easy assistance to help us when we have problems. Like most things in the classroom, I think in the end it involves a little bit of risk-taking, a lot of balancing, and time management in order to make technology use a positive part of the classroom.
In the other article, I think one of the most important and realistic points it makes is that teachers lack time to implement technology in their classrooms. It's not that they don't know how to use it or that they aren't comfortable using it, it's that they have to set everything up, or wait for their students to boot up their computers, troubleshoot problems, and on occassion, quickly implement a back-up plan. Lesson planning takes a lot of time as is, but when you have to plan a back-up plan on top of your regular plans, I can imagine that it is extremely time consuming and sometimes frustrating. You may have to take away instruction time in order to "set up" the instruction time. And even if we are fortunate enough to work in schools with high access to different forms of technology, we may not have fast and easy assistance to help us when we have problems. Like most things in the classroom, I think in the end it involves a little bit of risk-taking, a lot of balancing, and time management in order to make technology use a positive part of the classroom.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Discussion 2
Although these articles were somewhat outdated, some of their findings are still relevant to today's classroom. As stated in last week's articles, many teachers do not use technology in a way that is meaningful to today's students. I read the article Understanding and Measuring Teacher Technology Use cited in Examining Teacher Technology Use last semester. This article had highlighted how the majority of teacher's polled in the USEIT survey used computers for e-mail and lesson preparation while very few reported using technology to support higher level thinking skills. I was surprised to find that this was also a characteristic of teachers in Silicon Valley given the community's stakeholders' high use of technology. Another important point was raised in the Cuban article. It is stated that one of the reasons teachers have a low use of technology is because training was offered at inconvenient times (p. 826). I have read several articles that raise the same issues. Teachers have often cited little or no technology training being offered as a reason as to why they do not integrate it into the classroom. During my first year of teaching, I received only teacher-centered technology training. I did not receive any training on how to integrate technology using student-centered practices.
I liked that Piro, one of the teachers in the Cuban article, stated that "computer use depends on the instructor's teaching and learning goals" (p. 815). I think teachers can be under so much pressure to use the latest and greatest methods and tools, that we forget what it is that we are trying to teach our students. Technology is not always the appropriate assessment tool and if we use it in a lesson to simply "use it" then our students will gain anything meaningful from the experience.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Discussion 2
I found this week's articles to be very informative about the reasons teachers were previously not integrating technology into classrooms as much as the authors of these articles believed they should. However, these data reports are from 98-99 and 01-03. I would like to see how this data has changed with an updated study. I found one of the greatest flaws in the Cuban study to be missing data concerning the days in which teachers were instructed on how to use technology. This is later discussed as a concern, but I believe that if this data were provided, there would be a positive correlation between these days and the amount technology is used in the classroom. I was thinking throughout the Cuban article that better teacher instruction on technology might change the results of the study. Also, I found it disturbing that the schools had limited technology support from specialists. In one of the schools, the technology specialist was also a teacher who had many more obligations to fulfill so she had very little time to fulfill the obligations of a technology specialist. I feel that these areas are especially where the lack of technology in classrooms come from.
Concerning the Russell article, I found it interesting that newer teachers used technology in classrooms less than teachers that had been there for many years. However, I did find the reasons for this listed at the end of the article very practicle. I feel that this gap can better be filled with classes, such as the one we are taking, that teach pre-service teachers not only about the technology but how to incorporate it. Therefore, teachers will have confidence in using the technology, as well as creative ideas as how to incorporate it. I also feel that these classes will help fill the gap between changing from direct teacher instruction to more student-involved instruction. Teachers need to be taught that technology can be used for more than just contact and preparation for classes, as was a focus in the articles. If the articles are pressing for this pedagogical change then teachers have to go beyond these personal usages of their computers. However, I believe the push toward more technology use in the classroom will come when teachers feel more comfortable and can aquire a set of ideas about incorporating technology into their lessons.
Concerning the Russell article, I found it interesting that newer teachers used technology in classrooms less than teachers that had been there for many years. However, I did find the reasons for this listed at the end of the article very practicle. I feel that this gap can better be filled with classes, such as the one we are taking, that teach pre-service teachers not only about the technology but how to incorporate it. Therefore, teachers will have confidence in using the technology, as well as creative ideas as how to incorporate it. I also feel that these classes will help fill the gap between changing from direct teacher instruction to more student-involved instruction. Teachers need to be taught that technology can be used for more than just contact and preparation for classes, as was a focus in the articles. If the articles are pressing for this pedagogical change then teachers have to go beyond these personal usages of their computers. However, I believe the push toward more technology use in the classroom will come when teachers feel more comfortable and can aquire a set of ideas about incorporating technology into their lessons.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Questions on Principles for the wise use of computers by children
1- What is the meaning of Ergonomics?
2- Why is ergonomics research focused on children cognitive and physical development important and needed?
3- Did you find the research results concerning children time spent using the computer similar to your estimation?
4- "Whilst evidence is mixed, it does appear that computer scan enhance academic performance" do you agree with this statement? Why? why not?
5- In your opinion does computer have a positive impact on a child's social development?
6- Which group of children seem to benefit most in social development by using computer as a means of communication? Why?
7- Is educating children about computer safety enough to protect them? Why? Why not? What more could be done?
8- As educators how can we limit the negative effects of using computer?
9- How are concerns from children using computers different from previous concerns about using other forms of media like radio and TV?
10- Put true or false in front of the following statements:
a) children believe that characters in computer games are "a little alive"
b) computer users exercise more frequently than non users
c) there is no relationship between obesity of adolescent and time spent on the computer
d) displacement of sleep has been associated with computer use
11- why are child specif guidelines for computer usage needed?
12- As educators; are we willing to sacrifice skeletal development for better learning outcomes?
2- Why is ergonomics research focused on children cognitive and physical development important and needed?
3- Did you find the research results concerning children time spent using the computer similar to your estimation?
4- "Whilst evidence is mixed, it does appear that computer scan enhance academic performance" do you agree with this statement? Why? why not?
5- In your opinion does computer have a positive impact on a child's social development?
6- Which group of children seem to benefit most in social development by using computer as a means of communication? Why?
7- Is educating children about computer safety enough to protect them? Why? Why not? What more could be done?
8- As educators how can we limit the negative effects of using computer?
9- How are concerns from children using computers different from previous concerns about using other forms of media like radio and TV?
10- Put true or false in front of the following statements:
a) children believe that characters in computer games are "a little alive"
b) computer users exercise more frequently than non users
c) there is no relationship between obesity of adolescent and time spent on the computer
d) displacement of sleep has been associated with computer use
11- why are child specif guidelines for computer usage needed?
12- As educators; are we willing to sacrifice skeletal development for better learning outcomes?
Straker's article
The use of technology by children is evident in today's society for we see it from cell phones to ipods, even video and music downloads. Interestingly, this article provides a theory to the importance of children and their uses of technology. Though I may disagree with some of the positive and negative effects, evidence in this article supports those factors that were stated. I have found it to be sufficient for students to be introduced to materials at the earliest age as possible, followed by in-dept instruction and validated with assessments that measures the strengths and weaknesses of children. As this article implies, cognitive and social development are enhanced dramatically. Unfortunately, children in some communities will not have the same opportunities because of socio-economic values. Also, wise computer use by children will allow students to learn technological skills and be monitored for misbehavior on internet sites. As long as students are learning proactively, I support the materials and the methods that are being taught. I think that this article suggests many good ideas, however, not in agreement with the positive and negative effects.
The "Prensky" article suggests many students born in this technological age are capable of learning successfully. The problem seems to be that the methods of teaching and learning have changed dramatically. With the wide use of the internet, I find it to be extremely beneficial and necessary for new methods to be implemented so that students may learn new methods for learning. Teachers and instructors that are not apt to new teaching methods in technology should take or re-take technological classes to enhance their capabilities. This article makes great points and seems to be taking pioneering steps toward the way education will be in the future. For the most part, many students are taking classes online, in which, will allow them to learn and produce assignments through the internet. The largest campus in the US is the University of Pheonix Online. With that said, it is imperative to understand and appreciate the way the new methods of learning will be implemented. Though the language is new to me, it makes sense tome. Afterall, that is the reason why I am taking this class.
The "Prensky" article suggests many students born in this technological age are capable of learning successfully. The problem seems to be that the methods of teaching and learning have changed dramatically. With the wide use of the internet, I find it to be extremely beneficial and necessary for new methods to be implemented so that students may learn new methods for learning. Teachers and instructors that are not apt to new teaching methods in technology should take or re-take technological classes to enhance their capabilities. This article makes great points and seems to be taking pioneering steps toward the way education will be in the future. For the most part, many students are taking classes online, in which, will allow them to learn and produce assignments through the internet. The largest campus in the US is the University of Pheonix Online. With that said, it is imperative to understand and appreciate the way the new methods of learning will be implemented. Though the language is new to me, it makes sense tome. Afterall, that is the reason why I am taking this class.
Discussion Questions for Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants
Okay, I have tried to keep this short and sweet even though I think there are some important ideas and interesting points in this article.
1. Is the decline of our education system really due to student's changing?
1. Is the decline of our education system really due to student's changing?
- Students thinking and processing differently
- Brains physically changing
- Thinking patterns have changed
2. Do you consider yourself a Digital Native or a Digital Immigrant?
3. Are all students Digital Natives? Why or why not?
4. What are some "accents" Digital Immigrants may have?
5. Fill in this blank:
- "My students just don't ________ like they used to," Digital Immigrant educators grouse. I can't get them to _______ or to ________. They have no appreciation for ________ or _________. They have no appreciation for __________ or __________."
6. Do you feel that our education system has become a place of "edutainment?"
7. Is there anything we can do to help re-design our education system?
- What methodology/content might you use?
- Should you continue to use legacy content along with future content?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Discussion 1
Principles for the wise use of computers article...
Children are exposed to technology at such a young age now! I believe it is important they are taught computer skills in elementary school. I strongly believe that keyboarding should be a requirement in elementary schools. Children are having to teach themselves how to type on the keyboard and are forming bad habits which they are unable to break by middle school or high school. I believe computer use can be a positive effect on children. Computers are said to enhance academic performance. Getting information from the Internet versus a textbook is more exciting for children and they tend to enjoy it!
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants article...
With technology constantly changing and improving, it is important for teachers to stay on top of the changes in order to teach it to their students. Students in the classroom today have grown up with technology. Many students know a lot more about technology than teachers now…it’s crazy! I think it would be a good idea to have annual conferences for all teachers to inform them of new technologies to use in the classroom how to use it.
Comments for "Principles for the wise use of computers by children" by Straker
Some comments upon reading “Principles for the wise use of computers by children” by Straker.
I find the article “Principles for the wise use of computers by children” very useful, because it gave readers a rather comprehensive picture of advantages and disadvantages of ICT for children. The 6 principles presented by the author sound good, too. But after reading the positive and negative influences of ICT and looking at the principles, I can’t help doubting: if we follow these principles, can we ensure the negative influences of ICT on our children are minimized? I doubt about that. The following is what I think:
1-We cannot deny the fact that ICT bring about great impacts for our children. But this only happens when our educators know how to use technology tools in the right way to make their teaching content meaningful and to maximize the learners’ potentials. But the teaching method and the content are still under discussion. It is still a long way to go for teachers to be able to well apply ICT in class.
2-In terms of the negative impacts of ICT for children, I feel that ICT advances develop with such a speed that no one can control. Every minute there are new invents of ICTs. In a commercial world, children are those who access to these invents and they can be easily victims of ICTs which are developing too fast for us to control and therefore, it is very difficult to protect our children.
3-I think if we just apply rules and guidelines, this may not work, because children need to understand why we have to apply these rules. If not following this guideline, how they can be in danger. They need the right to know about that. We teach children lessons about sex education, the topic used to be a taboo, because we decide that it is very necessary for them to know to make choice and protect themselves. The same can be said about technology safety. We need something more than just simply rules and guidelines. Sometimes only children can protect themselves and they can do that only when they understand the matter.
I find the article “Principles for the wise use of computers by children” very useful, because it gave readers a rather comprehensive picture of advantages and disadvantages of ICT for children. The 6 principles presented by the author sound good, too. But after reading the positive and negative influences of ICT and looking at the principles, I can’t help doubting: if we follow these principles, can we ensure the negative influences of ICT on our children are minimized? I doubt about that. The following is what I think:
1-We cannot deny the fact that ICT bring about great impacts for our children. But this only happens when our educators know how to use technology tools in the right way to make their teaching content meaningful and to maximize the learners’ potentials. But the teaching method and the content are still under discussion. It is still a long way to go for teachers to be able to well apply ICT in class.
2-In terms of the negative impacts of ICT for children, I feel that ICT advances develop with such a speed that no one can control. Every minute there are new invents of ICTs. In a commercial world, children are those who access to these invents and they can be easily victims of ICTs which are developing too fast for us to control and therefore, it is very difficult to protect our children.
3-I think if we just apply rules and guidelines, this may not work, because children need to understand why we have to apply these rules. If not following this guideline, how they can be in danger. They need the right to know about that. We teach children lessons about sex education, the topic used to be a taboo, because we decide that it is very necessary for them to know to make choice and protect themselves. The same can be said about technology safety. We need something more than just simply rules and guidelines. Sometimes only children can protect themselves and they can do that only when they understand the matter.
Comment on the Article:”Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”
This is one of the most interesting articles I have ever read about technology and education. The following is some of my reflection upon reading this article:
1- I am very impressed with the concept “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” which the author used to refer to the generations who grow up with new technology such as computers, videogames, digital musical players, video cams, cell phone… and those who were not born in the digital world, but are having to adapt with it. That comparison reflects correctly the difference between these 2 generations.
2- I totally agree with some view points shared by the author as follows:
+ Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. Today’s students are those who have different brain structure and different thinking patterns. They are those who spend more time on video games, computers, emailing than reading. They are those who are used to receiving information very fast
+It is very important for educators to be aware of these differences between digital natives and digital immigrants, so that they will not impose their criteria on students nowadays and find the best solution to work with them.
+ There is no way we can make students nowadays change their way of learning, because our children nowadays are born into that digital world and they live with the technology advances of that world and therefore, their brain develop differently. Therefore, it is educators ( digital immigrants) that have to find solution to solve this problem. The author of the article believe that the smart way is to change our methodology and content. Specifically, the teachers have to speak their students’ language and understand their learning style. I really like the way the author divide the teaching content into 2 kinds: legacy content (traditional old content) and future content (the content relating to the issues of the digital world).
3- I have some concerns:
On one hand, I agree with the author that educators have to change their curriculum content and teaching methods to suit with new learning styles of 21 century learners. On the other hand, I can’t help worrying about negative influence of digital tools on the character development of our 21 century learners.
+Attention span: The author raised a point about short attention span of learners nowadays. They can spend hours watching TV, or playing video games or charting online, but it is so hard for them to focus long in the class. As a consequence, our learners nowadays are not patient while patience is a very important personalily for them to be successful.
+Reading habits: I feel if our learners nowadays are just used to getting information on internet, how they can develop their reading habits. Once they do not have that habit in childhood, how can they have love for reading, curiosity for knowledge when they grow up. If this is the case, who will inherit invaluable traditional values which they only might find in books. Also, if they do not have the habit of reading, they cannot improve their writing skill. In short, I think reading is also a very important personality enabling a person a lifelong learner.
+Learning games: Nowadays video games are replacing invaluable board games which are very good for children to develop interaction and social skills, problem solving skills which are very necessary qualities for children to lead successful life whey they enter their real world. Unfortunately, children never can obtain these qualities through video games.
+How to evaluate information: We are living in a fast changing world and our learners can access to information with an unbelievable speed. The important thing is to teach our learners how to evaluate the information they come across. This is also a big question for educators.
1- I am very impressed with the concept “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” which the author used to refer to the generations who grow up with new technology such as computers, videogames, digital musical players, video cams, cell phone… and those who were not born in the digital world, but are having to adapt with it. That comparison reflects correctly the difference between these 2 generations.
2- I totally agree with some view points shared by the author as follows:
+ Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. Today’s students are those who have different brain structure and different thinking patterns. They are those who spend more time on video games, computers, emailing than reading. They are those who are used to receiving information very fast
+It is very important for educators to be aware of these differences between digital natives and digital immigrants, so that they will not impose their criteria on students nowadays and find the best solution to work with them.
+ There is no way we can make students nowadays change their way of learning, because our children nowadays are born into that digital world and they live with the technology advances of that world and therefore, their brain develop differently. Therefore, it is educators ( digital immigrants) that have to find solution to solve this problem. The author of the article believe that the smart way is to change our methodology and content. Specifically, the teachers have to speak their students’ language and understand their learning style. I really like the way the author divide the teaching content into 2 kinds: legacy content (traditional old content) and future content (the content relating to the issues of the digital world).
3- I have some concerns:
On one hand, I agree with the author that educators have to change their curriculum content and teaching methods to suit with new learning styles of 21 century learners. On the other hand, I can’t help worrying about negative influence of digital tools on the character development of our 21 century learners.
+Attention span: The author raised a point about short attention span of learners nowadays. They can spend hours watching TV, or playing video games or charting online, but it is so hard for them to focus long in the class. As a consequence, our learners nowadays are not patient while patience is a very important personalily for them to be successful.
+Reading habits: I feel if our learners nowadays are just used to getting information on internet, how they can develop their reading habits. Once they do not have that habit in childhood, how can they have love for reading, curiosity for knowledge when they grow up. If this is the case, who will inherit invaluable traditional values which they only might find in books. Also, if they do not have the habit of reading, they cannot improve their writing skill. In short, I think reading is also a very important personality enabling a person a lifelong learner.
+Learning games: Nowadays video games are replacing invaluable board games which are very good for children to develop interaction and social skills, problem solving skills which are very necessary qualities for children to lead successful life whey they enter their real world. Unfortunately, children never can obtain these qualities through video games.
+How to evaluate information: We are living in a fast changing world and our learners can access to information with an unbelievable speed. The important thing is to teach our learners how to evaluate the information they come across. This is also a big question for educators.
Discussion 1
Straker article - This article discusses how computers will enhanced students abilities with fine motor skills, social interaction, and cognitive ability. These are the three that stood out to me. I agree that fine motor skills and cognitive ability will be challenged and could possibly be improved by the use of computers if the students are focusing on the detailed aspects of computer use. However, if students are only focusing on the minimum to get through the assignment, which the most often do, they will not be challenging their minds or their motor skills. I disagree with the social interaction portion of this article. Students do not experience traditional interaction when using the computer. Email, instant message, facebook, etc. do not encourage direct interaction. Students may know how to abbreviate words and communicate, however, they are not learning how to act in person. They are not forced to look others in the eye, hear the way they emphasize their words, etc. Computers definitely have their positives and negatives.
Prensky article - I agree with this article in that society is not allowing teachers to serve their initial purpose. My opinion on this one is similar for the previous article in that society makes communication easy for the students. Technology provides a different "language" that the students speak. They do not know how to directly communicate with those of us who are older and experienced a more traditional communication upbringing. That being said, they are more prepared for the future of technology and the generations ahead. We are going to continue to be advanced when it comes to technology and they will be able to communicate in that "language" more so than those of us who do not understand it. With both sides defended, I agree with the article in that as teachers we need to be able to teach to both the legacy and future contents. Society is changing and we do need to keep up with the times while still covering the importance of where we came from and how to communicate in a traditional manner.
Prensky article - I agree with this article in that society is not allowing teachers to serve their initial purpose. My opinion on this one is similar for the previous article in that society makes communication easy for the students. Technology provides a different "language" that the students speak. They do not know how to directly communicate with those of us who are older and experienced a more traditional communication upbringing. That being said, they are more prepared for the future of technology and the generations ahead. We are going to continue to be advanced when it comes to technology and they will be able to communicate in that "language" more so than those of us who do not understand it. With both sides defended, I agree with the article in that as teachers we need to be able to teach to both the legacy and future contents. Society is changing and we do need to keep up with the times while still covering the importance of where we came from and how to communicate in a traditional manner.
Discussion
I think that most students today would be considered "Digital Natives". These students probably had computers in their homes since they were born. I know that we didn't get one till around 1993. I feel lucky that I was able to learn how to use computers compared to my parents. Video games in the classroom are a concern but on the other hand, we used them in elementary school to use education games and they were great! Like someone said earlier, it does become an issue in the schools when students are issued their own computers. Students will load non-educational games on there and just play on it all day long instead of working on their school work. There are pros and cons but in the long run I believe that having great technology in our schools is important and plays a key role in getting students to learn how to use word processors, etc. For secondary students, it definitely prepares them better for college to learn how to use certain programs.
Discussion 1
I found the article about Digital Natives and Immigrants very interesting. However, my opinion and comments for that article are torn. I do agree with the idea that older teachers who are used to doing things a certain way do need to change and adapt their methods, whether it has to do with technology or not. Being a special education major, there have been many changes in how we should instruct children in general, but some of our older, more experienced colleagues are reluctant or refuse to participate, or are not getting the training to think out of the box. I also think that this article was interesting because I have a friend who teaches math at Southern Union. He says that the new "teaching trend" that they are all hearing about is called 'naked teaching,' or using just an overhead or hand outs. You mean, the way people used to teach? I think that there should be some change and that teachers should be open to using technology to reach their students in a way that's beneficial. I am torn on too much change, because I agree with some of the other posts that we shouldn't make school fast and fun just because that is the way that students are used to doing things. Again, I believe that we are teaching people that they don't have to wait, be patient, bored, and they have to be rewarded all the time. Life outside of school isn't like that, and the whole point of teaching these children is so that they can learn and grow to become successful. The other thing that I didn't like about this article is that it didn't really address the money factor. Many schools do not have the money to buy the resources to use cutting edge technology in the classroom. When I was in high school, the computers at school were always old and out of date. I didn't even have a computer period at my first teaching job, so my use of technology was limited to say the least. Teachers that don't have the resources shouldn't be shunned for not using technology. If it's not available, what do you do? I consider myself a digital native and I do love gadgets, but I do think that using technology in the classroom should be beneficial to the lessons, not just for the sake of having technology in the lesson. We are there to teach first.
I also thought that the article about children's computer usage was very interesting. I didn't realize that there was so much information about physical development and the interference of development and computers! The amount of data in the article was overwhelming. I do think that they did a good job of addressing all of the areas and ways that children use and are affected by computers. Some points that were brought up I hadn't even thought of, such as the physical development. This article also linked to the digital natives and immigrants in my mind, because we have some digital immigrants (parents) trying to teach digital natives (their children) about the correct, safest, and most beneficial usage of computers. This can be difficult, and means that we have to educate the parents as well as the children. Parents do use computers for different things and may not be aware of all the dangers or situations that may befall their children while using a computer.
I also thought that the article about children's computer usage was very interesting. I didn't realize that there was so much information about physical development and the interference of development and computers! The amount of data in the article was overwhelming. I do think that they did a good job of addressing all of the areas and ways that children use and are affected by computers. Some points that were brought up I hadn't even thought of, such as the physical development. This article also linked to the digital natives and immigrants in my mind, because we have some digital immigrants (parents) trying to teach digital natives (their children) about the correct, safest, and most beneficial usage of computers. This can be difficult, and means that we have to educate the parents as well as the children. Parents do use computers for different things and may not be aware of all the dangers or situations that may befall their children while using a computer.
Disscussion 1
The Prensky article gave me a new view point on the two groups of people, “Digital Natives” and Digital Immigrants”. I consider myself a combination of the two because I know the basics about technology and I also take notes with a piece of paper and pen. I agree with the terms that the author used to describe people who grew up in the digital age and those who did not, as “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants.” The days of taking notes on pieces of paper are over. Now students bring laptops to school and have class with students from across the world, using webcams. It is a new age; therefore it is important that teachers change their tactics and techniques of teaching to grasps their students attention better. Students, these days, need a new approach to learning and teachers have to understand that technology affects everyday life, especially education. I think that there should be a combination of ideas and techniques brought to the revision of current curriculums and the creation of new curriculums. It is important to bring “legacy” content such as logical thinking and “future” content, such as software, together because there are valuable. Teachers have to constantly be willing to learn about new technology and better ways of reaching their students. As the article stated, “It is highly unlikely the digital native will go backwards,” therefore teacher have to make it their business to keep up and make the environment feasible for learning.
The Straker article is a good article and pin points the advantages and disadvantages of children and teenagers using computers in their everyday lives. I have heard many of these points before and do not think that the issue will change drastically in the near future. Technology is here to stay and people are going to continue to use computers and other forms of technology. Many schools have fully integrated technology in to their classrooms, therefore parents, teachers, administrators, and students have to come up with ways to evenly distribute their time on the computer, in front of the television, exercising, and working. it is important for children to learn how to use computers efficiently, so they can compete and be successful in the world. However, I dont thin that technology should consume a persons life.In my opinion, when people learn how to balance things in their life they become healthier people.
The Straker article is a good article and pin points the advantages and disadvantages of children and teenagers using computers in their everyday lives. I have heard many of these points before and do not think that the issue will change drastically in the near future. Technology is here to stay and people are going to continue to use computers and other forms of technology. Many schools have fully integrated technology in to their classrooms, therefore parents, teachers, administrators, and students have to come up with ways to evenly distribute their time on the computer, in front of the television, exercising, and working. it is important for children to learn how to use computers efficiently, so they can compete and be successful in the world. However, I dont thin that technology should consume a persons life.In my opinion, when people learn how to balance things in their life they become healthier people.
Discussion 1
I agree with a few points made by earlier postings. I also struggled with some of the viewpoints presented by Prensky. While I agree that students today are different and unique and that our teaching should meet students where they are now, I too struggle with the idea of "giving in" to that "instant gratification offered by technology." (I think Michelle brought up this point in her post.) Thinking of my own subject area of English language arts, I find it challenging to make reading and writing easily accessible and easy to engage students in; they are not things that can be made "fast". It's a process that takes a lot of whole class and one-on-one discussion-- as well as a lot of time. I completely agree with Kayla on the computer game issue. I don't think we should use technology simply to make school more fun. I think a tremendous benefit of technology in the classroom is the possibility of making lessons opportunities for authentic learning. For instance, in my future classroom, my students and I can use technology as reading and writing workshop "tools", means of creating virtual storyworlds, and allowing students the chance to take on different roles by writing newspaper articles, making video documentaries, researching, designing, etc. I don't know if I would call these activities "entertaining" but hopefully engaging and authentic. To borrow Prensky's language, I almost think it would be "lazy" to throw computer games at our students to do the teaching. At the same time, I agree with his point that our students are multi-taskers, and it is going to take interactive lessons to meet their needs.
While Straker's article is thorough and informative, I feel like it contains a lot of information I've heard before. I do like how it presents negative and positive sides to the use of computers. I think it is good practice as teachers to always try to see the benefits and drawbacks of using technology and how it will affect our students. While computers are increasingly accessible to our students, I also think we cannot assume that all of our students have access, or at least have easy access, to computers or the internet. Of course, this largely depends on where we are teaching, the backgrounds of our students, and our students' home and school resources. Straker's article does a good job of highlighting the social networking computers provide, and this networking can harm or benefit our students. Either way, this networking is most likely only going to strengthen and continue to play a major role in our students lives. We just have to find ways to use the possibilities offered by this interaction to our students' advantage and as a possible source of empowerment. I'm interested to see what comes of the research being done on what computers do to children's physical and cognitive development, and if this information will even really be valued as computers continue to play a major part in all our lives.
While Straker's article is thorough and informative, I feel like it contains a lot of information I've heard before. I do like how it presents negative and positive sides to the use of computers. I think it is good practice as teachers to always try to see the benefits and drawbacks of using technology and how it will affect our students. While computers are increasingly accessible to our students, I also think we cannot assume that all of our students have access, or at least have easy access, to computers or the internet. Of course, this largely depends on where we are teaching, the backgrounds of our students, and our students' home and school resources. Straker's article does a good job of highlighting the social networking computers provide, and this networking can harm or benefit our students. Either way, this networking is most likely only going to strengthen and continue to play a major role in our students lives. We just have to find ways to use the possibilities offered by this interaction to our students' advantage and as a possible source of empowerment. I'm interested to see what comes of the research being done on what computers do to children's physical and cognitive development, and if this information will even really be valued as computers continue to play a major part in all our lives.
Discussion 1
I guess I have to be the different one. I was in agreement with most of Prensky's viewpoints throughout his article. I consider myself to be a digital native, but being born in 1985 I feel that my generation was the beginning of the D or N- generation. I grew up playing video games, we had a computer at my house, and in middle school I was constantly on AIM instant messaging my friends. I used technology for academics and socialization. But nowhere near to the extent that my students do today. I teach 8th grade math and I see every one of the characteristics that Prensky pointed out in his article. They want immediate feedback, instant results, no wait time on anything! They are bored with traditional notes, even in digital format. It is too slow for them. I struggle everyday with trying to engage my students in our material. It is easier with certain topics where students can do more hands-on, computer based activities.
I saw where someone disagreed with Prensky because of him mentioning how all students have access to the computer. I can see your point there, but when we gave a survey in our school it was around 5% of students that don't have internet access at home. So we have to teach to the majority, not the minority. Besides, our school systems are giving them opportunities to learn computer skills, and they still play video games. Access is not the point of Prensky's article, it is mindset. Our students' brains did not develop as ours did.
I thought the Straker article was outdated, even though the date says otherwise. The authors continued to bring up points that have been hammered over and over again for the past 10 years. Yes there are pros and cons to technology access for students. But there's not much we as educators can do about it. We still have to educate these students somehow. I did not find it as helpful and relevant to my classroom.
I saw where someone disagreed with Prensky because of him mentioning how all students have access to the computer. I can see your point there, but when we gave a survey in our school it was around 5% of students that don't have internet access at home. So we have to teach to the majority, not the minority. Besides, our school systems are giving them opportunities to learn computer skills, and they still play video games. Access is not the point of Prensky's article, it is mindset. Our students' brains did not develop as ours did.
I thought the Straker article was outdated, even though the date says otherwise. The authors continued to bring up points that have been hammered over and over again for the past 10 years. Yes there are pros and cons to technology access for students. But there's not much we as educators can do about it. We still have to educate these students somehow. I did not find it as helpful and relevant to my classroom.
Discussion 1
I also found myself disagreeing more with the Prensky article, but found the Straker et al. article helpful, yet lacking in areas. Regarding Prensky's work, I do not agree that all students are Digital Natives. Students come from various backgrounds, and therefore not all students have regular access to technology. I believe it is the job of teachers to make sure each student is reached. For those who have limited technology access, the teacher should start with the basics when assigning work that requires the use of technology, such a computer. The students with more experience in the area then could serve as peer helpers for those who have not had the same access. I do not believe that we, as teachers, should expect every student to have the same experience with technology. I believe this is something that should be factored into our lesson plans and goals as we teach.
Also regarding Prensky's article, I found it troubling that the article seemed to promote teaching through games. It seemed as if he had a game he could put with every subject, and do not feel this is beneficial to students. Subject matter requires thought and can be brought alive through other methods than computer games. I feel the focus in the idea is more on the game than the learning and I find that very troubling. Sure, incorporate technology into learning but not to the point that students expect to be educated through computer games. This seems more geared toward entertainment than education.
Finally, I found Straker et al.'s article to be very educational on the benefits and downfalls of technology use in adolescence. There was an area of research I would like to know more about. It is quoted from reseach that: "House computer ownership has been shown to be positively related to performance on standardised academic tests" (Straker et al., p. 5). I would have liked to know the implications for this research. I furthermore found their principles to be useful in determining the use of technology in adolescence. I look forward to their later articles addressing these principles and what they will provide for the integration of technology in the classroom.
Also regarding Prensky's article, I found it troubling that the article seemed to promote teaching through games. It seemed as if he had a game he could put with every subject, and do not feel this is beneficial to students. Subject matter requires thought and can be brought alive through other methods than computer games. I feel the focus in the idea is more on the game than the learning and I find that very troubling. Sure, incorporate technology into learning but not to the point that students expect to be educated through computer games. This seems more geared toward entertainment than education.
Finally, I found Straker et al.'s article to be very educational on the benefits and downfalls of technology use in adolescence. There was an area of research I would like to know more about. It is quoted from reseach that: "House computer ownership has been shown to be positively related to performance on standardised academic tests" (Straker et al., p. 5). I would have liked to know the implications for this research. I furthermore found their principles to be useful in determining the use of technology in adolescence. I look forward to their later articles addressing these principles and what they will provide for the integration of technology in the classroom.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Discussion 1
Although I consider myself to be a digital native (there are more computers in our house than there are people), I found myself disagreeing with Prensky and agreeing with Straker, Pollock, and Maslen. Prensky seems to assume that every child today is a digital native (p. 1), when in fact not all students have access to a computer or internet at home. So while I believe it is important to integrate technology into our classrooms and keep up with the rapid changes of the 21st Century, I think it is imperative that it is done in such a way that is sensitive to the needs of all of our children. I also believe that we need to teach our students that they do not need the instant gratification (Prensky, p.2) offered by technology today. After all, I would not appreciate it if during a doctor's appointment my physician took time to check his or her Twitter updates. There is also a need to develop and teach etiquette in regards to technology use. I admit that I take my cell phone everywhere I go, but I try not use it to the point that it is an annoyance to someone else. I think we all get annoyed by the person who answers their cell phone in the movie theater. Teachers can be just as guilty of being rude with technology as their students are. I have seen veteran teachers answer their phones during instructional time. As part of technology education, we need to model proper use and show our students that there is more to life than instant messaging.
As Straker et. al. discusses in their article, it is important to weigh the positives and negatives of technology usage amongst children as there is still much we do not know. Technology has the benefits of increasing social interaction. Students are able to collaborate on projects with students in another state or country, thus enhancing the learning experience by allowing children to develop their social skills. There is also of course the added benefit of access to information. Students are no longer limited to reference sources found in their school and public libraries due to the vast amount of resources found on the internet (Straker et. al, p. 1388). At the same time, use of the internet comes with its negative aspects such as child predators and identity theft (Straker, et. al., p. 1390). As more studies are conducted and more children grow up in a technological environment, it will be interesting to see what physical ailments, if any, come about as a result. I think after reading both articles, that it is important that educators take both sides into account. We should encourage our students to develop the technology skills necessary to thrive in the 21st Century and create meaningful learning experiences. At the same time, we should be mindful that not all aspects of technology are positive.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Class Discussion Schedule
Welcome to the EDMD7210 Blog
Throughout this semester, we will discuss class readings utilizing this blog. Below is the names of each week's discussion moderators.
• Week 3: Maysaa, Kelli
• Week 4: Asherah, Tom
• Week 5: Michelle, Clint
• Week 6: Catherine, Emmy
• Week 7: Brooke
• Week 9: Danielle, Courtney
• Week 10: Joanna, Kayla
• Week 11: Lauren, Genta (online discussion)
• Week 12: Joseph, Gordon
• Week 13: Brooke
- All students (except the moderators) need to comment on each week's articles by Midnight, Sunday.
- Moderators need to review the classmates' comments and develop in-class discussion questions by 3:00 pm on Tuesday.
- All students are highly encouraged to review the discussion questions before class.
- Moderators lead an in-class discussion for about an hour (Small group discussions are highly encouraged).
- All students are expected to actively participate in class discussion.
Throughout this semester, we will discuss class readings utilizing this blog. Below is the names of each week's discussion moderators.
• Week 3: Maysaa, Kelli
• Week 4: Asherah, Tom
• Week 5: Michelle, Clint
• Week 6: Catherine, Emmy
• Week 7: Brooke
• Week 9: Danielle, Courtney
• Week 10: Joanna, Kayla
• Week 11: Lauren, Genta (online discussion)
• Week 12: Joseph, Gordon
• Week 13: Brooke
- All students (except the moderators) need to comment on each week's articles by Midnight, Sunday.
- Moderators need to review the classmates' comments and develop in-class discussion questions by 3:00 pm on Tuesday.
- All students are highly encouraged to review the discussion questions before class.
- Moderators lead an in-class discussion for about an hour (Small group discussions are highly encouraged).
- All students are expected to actively participate in class discussion.
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