Don’t teach your kids this stuff. Please?
In this blog post Scott McLeod, the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), talks about how everyone has different reasons on why people should not let their children use technology. He argues that technology is in the best interested for the younger generations. The future is with technology so to not let your children use it is not helping them but holding them back. Parental controls were made for you to CONTROL what your kid does with technology, whether that be with internet using or site blockage, you can control it. So don't just say technology is to much for my kid to handle at his age, but embrace it and help your kid gain knowledge and be ready for the future.
The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning)
Travis Allen has changed the future for schools. Not only did he come up with an amazing idea, but he showed how it can be implicated in schools today. The ischool should be used in schools all across the nation. The future is with technology, so why not embrace it now? He showed that not only does it help with the advancement of technology but also saves money. So take out the fact that some people hate technology and will never change for it and add the fact that it saves money, and you have everyone's attention then. In this difficult time with lack of jobs and a struggling economy the one thing we need to do save money. The money we would save is tremendous and we could put that money to better use.
I was blown away by the video. I couldn't not believe that so much could be done with just one item. That one item is only one you would need. No more back problems from so much weight on your back or the "hey can i borrow pen and paper". The only problem I have with this is what about the people who can not look at something small for a long period of time with out getting a headache? Would they use a Ipad? What if that gave them headaches too?
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
This is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life. I don't know if I should be amazed or freaked out. To think that you can be connected to that many people around the world at tone time is cool but scary at the same time.
Teaching in the 21st Century
I think that Kevin Roberts is putting to much emphasis on technology teaching us in the future. The teacher will still do a great deal of teaching, but use technology to aid her not the other way around. Technology can't teach you how to fix a car or what to do if you connecting flight is cancelled. That comes from hands on experience and common sense. Technology can change the way we live our lives, but it can't take away from what a teacher can teach us.
Reading Rockets
I like this site due to the fact that it has a area for teachers, parents, librarians and principals. He sections has is certain items to help with that person helping teaching a child read or to help someone struggling to read better. I like how it has a section that shows you the fundamentals of teaching someone how to read.
This site has a area for anyone who is teaching someone how to read. That is very important that no one is excluded because not everyone can use the same tips to help someone learn to read or to help someone who is struggling with reading. The games are probably the best part due to the hands one experience you get from it. This is a great site to use.
Hey Alex! My name is Diane Boudreau. I enjoyed reading your post and I completely agree with you on teaching in the 21st century. As a future teacher I will still be just as valuable to a student as teachers are now. A computer might be able to do a lot, but there is still so much it can not do.
ReplyDeleteHey Alex,
ReplyDeleteI read through your post and found them to be insightful, save one. As I moved through your writings in Blog post #5 I saw minor spelling errors and misplaced or absent articles. The structure was solid in most of the writings. Although, I do have a few questions.
In the Scott McLeod piece you discussed his post, which was excellent, but I believe you were asked to explore Dr. McLeod more in depth. You did write about his relationship with Castle, but it seems like more time was spent on his post rather than on Dr. McLeod. I believe if you had given equal amount of writing to "who he was" then I think this would have been a much better post.
I thought you could have explored the virtual choir piece a bit more. The implications for educating the children of tomorrow in that video were astounding. We could literally explore the World and other cultures from our living rooms. We could interact with children and teachers outside physical restrictions of our classrooms.
As for the 21st century piece, I disagree. If you are teaching regurgitated facts, then you (as a teacher) could be easily replaced. I believe Roberts' touched on that, make it interactive less entertaining. Don't waste time on lecturing facts find ways to employ those facts with technology. Let it become a tool for teaching not a substitution. No, a computer does not fix your car or point you in the way of your new flight, but it could definitely aid the individual as a tool.
Last I wanted to talk about Reading Rockets. Your post on this article reads like a portable post. I got very little information from reading your post on it. The were issues with misspelling and sentence confusion. Of all the writings in this post I disliked this on the most. I literally came away with nothing, other than the games are cool, good resource, and you liked it.
Overall this post had great potential. I see you started strong with Scott McLeod and then it felt like you fizzled out by the end. I see the potential in your writings and I think if you focus on each article your successes will be inevitable. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review your post. I am excited to see you contribution to EDM310 and the education environment.
"What if that gave them headaches too? " That is the first time I have encountered this concern. But it sounds like my wife. Yet she uses her iPad without any headaches. It is her computer that gives her a headache? What about that?
ReplyDeleteWhy "scary"?
In a sense you are correct that technology cannot teach, that we only learn by doing. But that argument applies to people as well as technology. Teachers think they teach. What they do is create a learning environment where people can learn if they are so inclined. Technology can do the same thin. More efficiently and at less cost. There will be an iBook out very soon on how to fix different problems you might have with your car. YOU have to fix it, but you can WATCH how you should do it and then do it yourself.
Jason has some very good suggestions for you in his comment.
Hello Alex,
ReplyDeleteI read your post about Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff Please! I must say I too believe we should allow our children to embrace technology. This will keep them up to date on recent technologies. I think things are becoming a lot more technical and children need to be knowledgeable. I believe before they say don't teach them this stuff, they should be saying teach the children but, each one will have their own pace of grasping technology.