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(013) article response pt.2 | Teachers' Views on Technology in the Classroom
November 30, 2010 / 02:17
Most of the ideas featured in the videos have already been brought up and discussed from other students in class. I also think half of the ideas aren't worth pursuing because we already have a netbook system similar to the iPad and iTouch systems that were shown in the videos. Though iPads cost more, it would be a better device to use than the iTouch as it does the same functions but provides a larger screen to work on. But overall I don't feel that having iPads would enrich learning because it is an efficient way of having information, you are still learning the same material you would learn from a textbook. iPads also provide software and web tools that the netbooks allow.
The American School of Bombay's laptop program showed an innovative way of learning. They used Skpe and Google Docs to share ideas with people from other countries. Students can do something similar to learn about different cultures. This idea would not be hard to accomplish since we already have our netbooks. The use of technology furthers an idea suggested earlier by Jenny in her Enriching Technology post. Her idea was to use the netbooks in classes to communicate over Skype with specialists in a certain field. By communicating with other people outside of our school, students get a more in depth look into a certain profession/topic, or they can relate their views and lives to students from other countries.
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(012) article response pt.1
November 28, 2010 / 21:05
The issues addressed in this article are very recent and does depict the reality of teenagers and their attachment to technology.
Vishal's lifestyle and use of technology is very similar to my own. Whenever he's on the computer Facebook and Youtube are open at the same time as he edits his videos. I share the same habits. Every day I usually, almost always, go straight to my room and turn on my laptop when I come home after school. When I open my web browser Facebook instantly pops up as my homepage. Even though I don’t use it very often, I always keep a tab dedicated to Facebook among the many other tabs along my tabs bar. I always have a bunch of tabs in one window, including Facebook and other social networking sites that I find it hard to keep away from. My time online definitely distracts me from my school work, and that may result in less time to complete my work, which may not allow me to put my full effort into my work, but I wouldn’t say computers are my sole distraction. If I didn’t have a computer/internet I would preoccupy my time with something else, like reading a book.
Like Vishal, I put effort and time into things that I’m interested in. My marks aren’t as bad as his cause I do care about getting good marks.
Alan Eaton’s sentiment that technology has led “balkanization of their focus and duration of stamina” is partly accurate. Technology has definitely made it easier for people to do multiple tasks at the same time and to complete such tasks without much effort. Thus making it difficult to focus and people to come accustomed to staying in one spot. However I mainly agree with Mr.Reilly’s ‘fight fire with fire’ tactic – to drive the focus of students by having technology in classrooms. I think this does help with connecting with students and getting them engaged to the lesson.
But I also find Ms.Blondel’s evaluation of technology in the school so also be true as well. Sometimes I prefer reading from a book than watching videos on Youtube, and when it comes to writing notes I mostly prefer writing them out on paper. In Vinshal’s case he mostly focuses on making and editing film, and dismisses school work as unnecessary for his future. But there are other aspects that he should learn - not just thinking about the skill. There is more to learning that can’t be done with technology. We are living in an age where technology is rapidly advancing, and for students to be learning with technology may not be a bad thing.That’s why I think there should be a balance with the technology in classes.
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