Most of you agreed that cell phone use in the classroom should be forbidden. Please read the introduction (pages 1 and 2) of this PDF by three graduate students at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and then write a couple paragraphs stating what you think about what they have to say and your general thoughts about using technology in the classroom. I would encourage you to read the entire paper, but I understand that you are all busy people.
Back to the origination or original. This is one of my unique ways to think or research something which is complex and obscure.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Using the technology of today, in the classroom today” is trying to proving that modern technologies are more than just entertainment. In the article, we could see several kinds of programs or systems for digital games, simulations and social networking. The co-authors are advocating that for an education in educational practices and approaches to instruction, which not only align with the processes and operations of the world outside of school, but also leverage the emerging power and potential of these new processes and technologies. For the successful instructional innovations, the context from school, teacher’s endeavor as an innovator, the specific project for the innovation, and the students as the operators are essential.
In my opinion, as Miss Chloe Hipchen said in her blog, there are inevitable flood in our classroom and teachers are need to accept the fact that students cannot live without their cell phone and embrace it.
Even through adopting and adapting the new technologies is needed for effective and practical instructions, implementing in classroom could bring out absolutely different problems. Are there enough infrastructures and supports for teachers? Teachers are fully qualified in using new technologies and have moderate environment to collaborate in instructional projects? Students can easily be settled in the new, never experienced situation?
Turn to the my first notice, I think we need to consider the purpose of education.
Instruction or education is needed for our real life. Processes and approaches to solve problems, to find adequate alternatives, and to have moderate ways to be socialized human beings is the original purpose of education. Taking an exam is just a mean.
What is the most remarkable characteristics for modern society? I want to pick out the speed. We need to adapt ourselves to rapidly changing society. We need to deliberate many variables simultaneously for the proper decisions. Education could not be alienated from the real world. If our real life is changing, we need to change the ways of educations for our children and for ourselves. We need not to use shovels for farming if we have tractors for agriculture.
What a fantastic response Jin. I am biased though as I have spent the last 3 years completely focused on integrating technology with the classroom. I have always said that the classroom and school in general is a place that is designed to prepare children for life in the real world. Cell phones, the Internet, and modern technology are all an enormous part of society as we know it today. It is therefore imperative for teachers to make use of it in the classroom for three essential reasons. Number 1: We don't want our kids looking upon school as some 'dinosaur' way of learning from a hundred years ago that has nothing to do with their lives. In this situation, kids will be much less likely to feel that they can gain anything from school and therefore pay less attention and become indifferent, and possibly even develop a hatred for school learning. Using technology that they find interesting and engaging will aid in not only maintaining their attention, but also in improving their attention. Number 2: This technology affords us a great opportunity to enhance our children's learning. The speed and significant interactive qualities of this new technology can provide our students with a more in-depth mastery of the material. Number 3: Technology is an enormous part of our students' lives. We must teach about it and use it in our classrooms for the simple reason that it is imperative that students learn the educational ways that this technology can be used.
ReplyDeleteRemember, that I am in no way the "be all, end all" on this subject. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, this is simply mine.
"Be all end all" definition here:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/be+all+and+end+all
In all my school life, I haven’t have chances to have computer. My graduation paper was written by handwritings, and printed by offset. When I needed to correct my paper, I found one paragraph was missing and there were no space to insert my words. It was painful experience. If I had a computer at that time, I could fix my missing paragraph and I would be proud on my graduation paper.
ReplyDeleteNot for private concerns, but for pragmatic concerns, we need to adopt advanced technologies. After graduation, all students need to have jobs. And most of our real lives demand us to have high tech skills. We need to prepare reports by PowerPoint, calculate our revenue by excel, do co-work by accessing database or
attending teleconference. To share, deliver, and accumulate information, electronic way is inevitable.
As you Jeff said, technology is not be all end all. Handwriting is important part in education. Traditional ways would be helpful to keep good manners for neighborhoods. Keeping full attention to the lecture would give us another chance to raise patience aside from getting knowledge. Sometimes, simple memorizing could be the best way for the educational effects.
As you know, all teachers could not teach like you Jeff. Teachers have different competencies and educational philosophy. Even have different goal or customers.
In my conclusion, I prefer ever lasting education. To get the attitude for studying in life long, we need something practicle and use-friendly methods.