Technology, Technology, Technology!!!

A Vision of Students Today

I watched this video twice because I thought it was really awesome and so relevant. I love that the students at KSU came up with this and participated in making such an honest and neat video. The video encompasses an average college students life very well. From my own personal experience I can completely relate to the students at KSU. We sit in classes among tons of other students, the professors don't know our names, we are assigned countless pages to read that sometimes pertain to what we are learning, we obtain thousands of dollars in debt, and for the most part we aren't even heard. I am not blaming the professors because they are just teaching like they were taught but there comes time when as a professional I would think that they would want to step outside the box and try new ways to keep their students interested. I imagine that they truly want us to learn and become excellent in the subjects that they are instructing so why don't they try and incorporate these subjects to our lives? Maybe it is because they are afraid of failing themselves, maybe they are scared of the unknown, or maybe they are just oblivious to the opportunities out there.

Students today spend hours upon hours on the computer, on cell phones, using ipods, and many other technical devices. We are working, going to school, doing service projects, connecting with world, and trying to cram tons of school work into the mix. It amazes me that professors expect students to sit in their seats and learn from a chalkboard or from a standard lecture. Personally, I would be so more apt to do my readings or homework if it were somehow incorporated into my use of everyday technology. Living as a student in the US we have the opportunity to have laptops and smart boards and other fun things at our fingertips, so I think that we and the professors should use them as much as possible. I enjoy EDM 310 because I get to be creative, I get to explore new technologies that I didn't know about prior, I get to see how teachers are using technology in their classrooms, I get to connect with other students, and I am being prepared for tomorrow and I am learning how to prepare my future students for tomorrow as well.

A Vision of Students Today


"It's Not about the Technology"

Mrs. Hines has truly put much thought into this article and I am thankful that she has shared it with the public. I hope that MANY educators will read this article and take it into deep consideration. We hear so much about technology and how we need to innovate it into our classes and into our students lives but Mrs. Hines makes a wonderful argument. Why yes, technology is a wonderful tool, it is not technology that teaches the children. If we really care about our students and really want them to succeed then we need to have a completely new mindset. We also need to be willing to work hard and do awesome things for our students. Mrs. Hines makes some key points on how teaching is not about the technology.

I completely agree with Mrs. Hines and honestly her article makes me even more excited and encouraged to become a teacher. As future educators we much be learners and we must be completely invested in our professions. How can we expect to teach children if we aren't sold out on what we will be teaching them. Also, once we become teachers we always have someone down our backs telling us what to do and how to teach our children. We must be self-motivated and we must be willing to find new ways to teach these future students. We need to get creative and excited and they will want to do the same. To prepare these children for the future we must be prepared ourselves and not just through technology. We must be thinking about our individual class needs and we must strive to meet them. If we combine our passion for teaching and our desire to see our students learn and then add technology, the possibilities are endless. The tools of technology can take up beyond what we can imagine if we give it all a shot. :)

Karl Fisch: Is It Okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
This is not the first time I have been exposed to Mr. Fisch's posts. I enjoy reading his thoughts and opinions and for the most part agree with his positions on topics. I am encouraged that he takes the time to write these type of posts or messages to his employees and that he doesn't just allow them to remain stagnant. Sometimes all it takes is a push in the right direction and people can achieve some awesome things. The fact that Mr. Fisch pushes his employees to become technologically literate is so encouraging. He wants them to succeed so they can help students succeed. This should every educator and future educators mission. We should want to improve our literacy in every aspect so that we can help our children to the best of our ability. Mr. Fisch is exactly right when he states that being technologically illiterate today is like not knowing how to read and write 30 years ago.

I think that every teacher should not only know the basics to technology but that they should be proficient in it. They should want this for their prospective students and also, for themselves. In a world where things are changing daily and the main form of communication is through technology, it is crazy to not be literate in it. Times are changing and it is time for teachers to change to. They need to be transformed from the inside to the outside. They need to have a mindset of excitement and curiosity about what these new tools entail and then they need to let these new discoveries play out in their classes to help their students learn. I'm thankful that Mr. Fisch is open and honest about his feelings toward this subject and I hope that his employees and the many people that have read this will take it to heart and find a new joy in learning to be technologically literate.


Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Wow...the numbers on the social media count blow my mind. It is amazing to me that that many people use the Internet in their daily lives to do so many different things. To me, that makes me realize how vital it is that I keep up to date in all the new tools offered on the Internet. As far as my professional career as a teacher I should be completely capable and literate in using these tools. Apparently these tools are widely used by people all around us. If I am literate in my use of these tools then I can use them to teach my kids, to communicate with parents, to contact teachers elsewhere, and for my personal enjoyment as well.

These quickly changing numbers also mean that new things are coming and VERY quickly. This means that as a professional I will have to be on my toes at all times and continually learning. Also, I will be teaching my children for things that aren't even available to them yet. I will be preparing them for the unknown. Exponential times is exactly what we are living in and I need to be willing and excited to embrace these times. I am excited to see what is in store for my students by the time I am in the classroom and teaching them.