Sunday, September 12, 2010

Blog Post 3



A Vision of Students Today


This video just proves the point that with technology not only can you have more learning tools, but also you can reach a varied audience. Most of the students in the video spent more of their life using their technological gadgets and spending time outside of the classroom.  This is how I spend most of my time, along with all of my friends.  If students spend the majority of their time outside the classroom, and using technology, then isn't this the way that we should teach them.  Many pupils have problems understanding concepts that are written in black and white right there on the board.  If we move the learning outside of the classroom and use technology to get the message across, then students would understand what their professors are talking about, instead of spending the majority of the class period on Facebook.
Teachers MUST continue their learning.  This doesn't mean learning a new technique, every time the class is issued a new book.  Teachers must be aggressive in their learning, in order to be truly successful educators.  Teachers should never say, "I don't know why they don't get it, I've taught it a hundred times". Do you know what I would say to that teacher? "How many different ways did you approach it?" If students don't understand the concept the first ninety nine times they were taught, what makes you think they will get it on the hundredth time?  Everyone learns differently.  It is the teachers job to get through to their students, no matter how they learn, or how many approaches the teacher must take in order for the student to understand.  The student who has learned to concentrate on learning rather than grades is the students who will go far in life.  
It is most definitely not acceptable for a teacher to be technologically illiterate.  Some teachers still don't allow students to have laptops in class (even though this is preparing them for their careers). How many jobs do you know that prefer a handwritten proposal as opposed to a typed one? But that's beside the point.  When STI came out, teachers were outraged because they were forced to take roll and post grades online.  This was their idea of technology taking over.  I don't know if I have ever had a teacher who knew the possibilities out there for students and teachers alike, if only they were to embrace technology. On top of the fact that they need to embrace it, they need to actively seek out new ways to use it.  When I was a freshman in high school, I might have known my way around AIM, Myspace and Wikipedia, but I had no idea of the ways I could use technology for my benefit or how it could enrich my learning experience.  If the teachers don't know how to use technology as a useful learning tool, then students will never have the opportunity to learn about it or use it.
It is amazing to know how much technology has and is impacting our lives at this very moment, yet some teachers still won't use it for their benefit.  All of these sites and tools are there for them to use, but either they have no idea it's out there (because they have refused to be a perpetual learner, actively searching for useful teaching tools), or they simply don't think that their students will benefit any more from technology, than they will from sitting at a desk and watching their teachers write on a blackboard.

3 comments:

  1. Great post Paige!

    I agree with you that teachers must be flexible in their approach and willing to try new things to enhance learning. The most important thing teachers can do, in my opinion, is to put the students in charge of their own learning ASAP. The sooner students realize that they are in control of the learning process the faster they will advance and move on to bigger and better things.

    Your blog is looking good. Keep up the good work. SS

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  2. By the way, don't forget to title your posts. For this post the title should be "Blog Assignment 3" or something like that. SS

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  3. A vision of Students Today- I also spend a lot of my time outside of the classroom on gadgets such as my phone, computer, and and ipod. And also so do my friends so I agree with you when you say that it would only seem reasonable to reach students through all this technology that is in our everyday use.
    It's not About Technology- A lot of what we have done in this class has been technologically based and we have watched videos on how using technology in the classroom is so important but this has made me realize that teachers still have to teach! I like your take on how teachers need to change their approach to teaching because it is very true that all students learn differently. It is a teachers jobs to adjust to that.
    Is it okay for a teach to be technologically Illiterate?- Well of course you have the right answer when you say no way! STI was probably the best thing to happen to the school system. Some students that were my friends hated it because their parents could get on and see exactly when their child was later for class or if they were skipping class and see all of their grades maybe before the student did. I know as a future parent I would appreciate this access to my children and as a teacher I will gladly allow other parents to seek this information. Technology is everywhere and any teacher who does not agree with it really needs to keep up.
    I think this all of this has had the same impact on you as it has me and I feel as thogh I am appreciating technology so much more than I have before and realizing how much we are not taking advantage of it in classrooms.

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