Dr. Scott Mcleod an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the Univerisity of Kentucky, has an intersting way of getting his point across. In his post "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff, Please?, his message is not literally not to teach technology, it's very much the opposite. He acknowledges that there are dangers, such as predators linked to technology. But, we can't let our fear keep us from teaching our children how to use it as a tool. In an attempt to protect them from harm, we will actually be hurting them. The ones that have teachers and parents that support the learning of technology and all of its benefits will be the ones that will always be one step ahead on the road to success. It is our job to make sure that our students have a healthy balance when they leave our rooms. They must understand how to do things without technology, but they must also know how to use it when necessary.
Dr. Mcleod is responsible for founding the nation's only academic center dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He is also one the nation's leading academic experts on k-12 school technology leadership issues.
The iSchool Initiative By: Travis Allen
Making the education system digital is a great idea. It sounds great to be paperless, not having to carry books, notebooks, or pencils. I just don't think that society is ready for a leap like this. There are always going to be families that do not have access to technology, what will these people do in a totally digital public school system? Would they be provided with the things they need to use this system to its full potential? Also, students would have no reason to learn how to do things without an app, or some sort of technological tool to do it for them. My fear is that in a setting like this the majority of students would leave my class, not knowing how to figure anything out on their own. If they have to have some kind of crutch to help them along, then I don't think that I have done my job. Going completely digital is not an option for total success. All of the apps that Allen mentions in his video, the presidential app, the periodic table, space exploration, etc. these are wonderful educational tools. Students should be encouraged to take advantage of these tools and use them to study. This is how technology paired with the traditional way of teaching can lead to ultimate success.
In, the short clip, "Zeitgeist Young Minds", Allen states that since his first video, he has formed a team that travels around showing educators how to take advantage of the iSchool Initiative. He says that they have had great success in teaching teachers how to prepare their students for the digital world the were born in.
Jennifer Chamber's Post and Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
WOW! That is amazing. I never would have thought it would be possible to take 185 people that have met, let them sing on a webcam, and put them together to form a choir. It is just unreal what technology can do.
Teaching in the 21st Century By: Kevin Roberts
YES! Teaching in this ever growing technological world does mean that we need to evaluate the traditional ways of teaching. Roberts hits the nail on the head so to speak. Teachers are not the main source of information anymore. If you are curious about something or have a question, you "Google" it. That's the mindset of most people these days. But, before you cut off your right toe because "Google" said so, we must remember not everything on the internet is a fact. This is the balance I feel is so necessary, Roberts calls teachers a filter. We know our students are going to use the internet whenever possible, they must know how to distinguish truth from fiction. It is also most important that they can apply what they have learned. Although the government may measure a teacher's success by her students scores on a standardized test. A teacher's success is truly in the ability of her students to apply what they have learned and incorporate it in their everyday life.
Technology provides students the ability to exercise their creativity through blogs, podcasting, programming, etc. They must be accountable for the information that they get from the internet. The video states the differences in engage and entertain, this was very interesting to me. While entertainment if for enjoyment, engagement is for learning. Entertainment is short-lived and engagement has long term results. While entertainment is an escape from problems, engagement is solving problems. Lets engage our students and pave the road for success for years to come!
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteI think you missed Dr. McLeod's point. He is not trying to point out the dangers of technology in a serious manner, but in a sarcastic one. He is trying to reveal the fact that the dangers do not compare to the benefits, when using the proper perspective.
Otherwise, good job analyzing the assignment. I can really tell that you are excited to integrate technology with education. I think one of my favorite aspects of this integration would be the fact that it is so green! Using fewer paper sources and more technological ones will make our planet a better place - socially and biologically. Good post.
Thanks,
Rebekah Lloyd
It is not clear from the way you have written your post whether you understood that Dr. McLeod was being sarcastic. rebecca thinks you missed the point. I think you got it. But a more forthright statement on your position would have avoided a debate.
ReplyDeleteI understood that you knew what direction Dr. Mcleod was going. I thought you did a good job on the majority of your posts. The post on the "Virtual Choir" could have been elaborated more on how you felt. When you go in and explain your position you do a great job, I really like how passionate you sounded in your argument in "ischool" as to how you wouldn't be getting the satisfaction of teaching your kids in class. But wouldn't it be better to know that they learned something than knowing that you were the one that taught them? I feel they would go hand in hand, just think how we are learning in this class. By you providing students with tools to learn with and by your guidance when needed along the way you will be doing more for those students than any of you could imagine. I think you know that though because you touched on it in your comments in "Teaching in the 21st Century". I think you're motivated and have the best interests of others in mind. I enjoyed the read and good luck throughout the semester.
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