Throughout my K-12 years I had very little experience with any form of technology. Manchester school district is considered a "district-in-need" meaning there is very little money going around and going into the education of students, therefore there is hardly any extra tech in the schools other than regular computers in the libraries and classrooms. There were a couple Mac labs we were allowed to use occasionally, but they were simply used for research.
In third grade, my school Highland Goffes Falls received some grant money and was able to purchase a new "Mac lab" (cart with about 20 computers that was shared throughout the school). This was pretty much the first bit of technology I was taught in my educational experience, and it was not something I enjoyed. Having never really used the computer before I had no idea what the purpose of it was. My teacher explained to us that computers were used to find facts and information we didn't know, so most of what we did was typing in the URL given to use and simply reading whatever we were to read, and then taking paper notes on such. Throughout the remainder of elementary school I seldom used the computer or any other form of tech, and when I did it was only to do research or play on paint.
My middle school years at Southside Middle School were the first in which I received true instruction on computers and their usage potential, in my Computers class. In such we learned what Microsoft Word, Excel, Spreadsheet, and other techy things were and how to use them. I didn't like this class. The teacher was mean, and I didn't know what I was doing half the time, but I suppose in the long run, it helped.
Come high school I had full knowledge of how to use a computer to research, write, make spreadsheets, and how to use databases. However, the computer was the only form of technology offered to me, due to the financial struggles of the district. Now, as I study in college I am learning that there are far more forms of technology that can be useful in the classroom and future classrooms of mine. I still do not understand much of all the many forms of tech, and that scares me, but I look forward to learning how to use them personally, as well as how to use them in future classrooms.
I would very much like to include active technology usage both in and outside of my future classroom. I find this blogging thing to be pretty cool and useful and I think I would like to use this as a way to communicate with parents and students as well as engage them into higher level teaching/thinking. I do not however like Twitter or any other social media site, nor do I feel they are an appropriate tool to be used in education so I would not like to include such technologies in my future classroom. Overall, I feel as technology advances, we as future educators should advance with it, keep up with the times, and include such in our classrooms. For, what is the point of having all this great technology and not using it?
Moira,
ReplyDeleteWhat first struck me first was the anecdote about how your teacher explained the function of computer to the class. Describing a computer as something to use to find facts and information about things you don’t know about currently is a gross understatement. We have things that do that already, like books. A book is constrained to the limits of its pages while a computer, with internet access, has all the information the human race has ever collected on any possible subject available at just the push of a button. Take a moment to let that soak in. The power of that device to influence every person in that class, and indeed countless numbers of people around the world, outweighs even the greatest inventions. It makes dwarfs of Edison’s light bulb, Tesla’s enlightening use of alternating current, Einstein’s E=mc2, which was the equation that ended World War II. Modern examples are the discovery of the Higgs-Boson particle, or any of the advancements in modern medicine.
The first three are examples that were all achieved without the aid of modern day technology and the second two are only the iceberg of the problems we have faced, and solved. It shows perfectly that modern technology is more powerful than anything available to our predecessors. It gives us access to ways of learning about the universe and, more importantly, to save the lives of people who, just even a short decade or two ago, would haven’t had a decent chance of survival. That is how you describe a computer to a group of students. Leave them speechless and in awe at the power they have at their fingertips. For being able to learn anything one’s heart so desires at any time they want all from a single machine gives rise to limitless potential. It can, and has, shaped an entire generation, now is the time to put it to good use.
You mention being scared of not understanding all the technology out there. I implore you, do not be scared. You know the experience you had, you got through it and you’ll rise to meet new challenges too. Strive to give your students something better than what you had and you’ll succeed.
Thanks for your reply Gerald, sorry it has taken me this long to get back to you. I appreciate your advice greatly and I will make sure to keep in my head all of the good that technology can bring to education rather than focusing on the bad :) I have a rather bias standpoint on the whole education switch to technology based learning for when I was a young student ( as I sort of explained in the post) I was not given many opportunities so I don't see the use of tech in schools as a necessary tool, because I have the notion of "well I did all of that without tech, I passed all my classes without tech, and look at where I am today?". Anyways, thank you again for the feedback, and I look forward to seeing you in class!
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