January 25, 2010 Blog Assignment

1.) A Vision of Students Today by: Michael Wesch

His video really amazed me. It was really interesting because many of those same situations, I find my self doing. However, I can honestly say I do not use Facebook in class. Then again, if I have my laptop with me, I find my self wondering the web instead of paying attention to the assignment. I agree with the sleep issue. I am lucky if I get seven hours of sleep at night. I go to school and work almost everyday and on my off days, I usually am doing homework. A direct quote from the video, "I am a multitasker. I have to be." This really spoke to me because I feel like that all the time. I feel like I need to do six things at one time to finish a days work.

Also, how much in debt we will be in when we graduate and even, if you do not, the debt will still be there. In my mind, this rises the question, how much is your education worth and how much are you taking with you? Some of this video shocked me that only 26% of the reading required will be used in real life. However, it impresses me that we are helping students get jobs that don't even exist yet. So this is very hopeful to me that maybe I will have a job when I leave college.

To answer the question, do I believe technology alone will save us? No, not alone. I believe it will help. Yes, I would rather read a web page than a book. I would rather use Google than an Encyclopedia. However, its will power of a person or people to save us.

2.) It's not about the Technology by Kelly Hines

Her views on the 21st century teacher is on point in my opinion. She agrees that technology is an important factor in teaching in the 21st century. However, it is a tool, not the teacher. She goes on to say that it is steps that make the teacher. My favorite she uses is "Teachers must be Learners". I completely agree. How can you teach someone if you do not know where they are coming from or what experiences they have seen? I agree that teachers need to be open to new experiences in the classroom. Another point that appealed to me was "Teaching in the 21st century is going to be about working smarter and not harder". I like this quote. When teaching in the 21st century, its not about making the work harder; its about working with technology.

Also, she states that if we give teachers the technology and they are not willing to innovate, the schools have wasted money. I do agree. However, I think that technology is important for a teacher to learn willing or not. It is not the solution to the teaching but it is a new source that children are using. How are teachers going to be learners if they are not willing to learn what we use every day? In today's society, children are learning to use technology at a young age and teachers need to at least know what they are using and how they are using them. However, with that said, technology is not the teacher. A good teacher is not a computer. It is the person in front of the computer knowing their students and listening to them and teaching them.

3.) Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? by Karl
Fisch

His views were very eye opening, maybe even a little harsh, but truthful for the most part. His first point was that "All educators must achieve a basic level of technological capability and those who are not should should be embarrassed, not proud." I understand this statement. I hear educators and just normal adults saying that they do not know how to use a computer. They are not proud, but its more that they are more nonchalant about it. That they could careless about being technologically literate. I am not sure if they are willing to learn or not. However, it is pretty upsetting that I know children who are teaching their parents and teachers how to use basic computer skills. I agree with him when he says that they have qualifications to do their jobs and there are some who are jeopardizing the education of children. Teachers need to be able to keep up with their students technologically.

This point is the main objective in my opinion, "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write." A little harsh, but I think it is a fair statement to say. It is all about how you look at the underlining of the statement. He goes on to state his claim on it by justifying that at the beginning of the 20th century, it was acceptable for those who could not read and write but for those who could became more successful. However, at the end of the century, you have to know how to read and write to be successful in life. That is what is happening in our century. It is becoming really hard for those who do not know how to use a computer or other technical devises. Like Karl Fischbowl says,"How can we teach this to kids, how can we model it, if we aren’t literate ourselves?" I think this is the perfect statement in which all educators and future educators should think about.

4.)Social Media Count by Gary Hayes

This is really remarkable when you sit down and watch the seconds go by and to see all the people who are creating new social networking. From Iphone downloads to new Facebook users; this is showing the change in technology. Not just a change but an extreme change at a rate growing every second of everyday. Can you image what these numbers will be in one year or in a couple of years when we start teaching? It not something teachers should ignore. The new social net working is changing before our eyes every day. If we get behind now, when will teachers ever be able to catch up. I mean look there is even social avatars that we are texting now. We need to understand these technological advances now. I know I can not just watch this and not be a part of this social net working. I know I am a part of Facebook, I use Google, and I have a blog. But it isn't enough anymore.