Social Media: Do you believe it? (13)

Infographics can tell you a lot about a specific subject, and I think that they are way underrated. This one stuck out with me, because it is so relevant to today's world. 

Social media plays a huge part in the way we run our lives now. However, how reliable is the news that it presents to us? Can we always trust it? According to this, "fast doesn't always mean factual." Though you can have a story in your hand within five minutes of it's release, there's a chance that it was fabricated or made up in order to make it to said social media sites. I do believe, however, that news from social media does have a special place in the curriculum or a classroom, especially in a social studies or journalism class. Both of these classes are about what's happening in the news around them, therefore they need to have the news in the quickest way they can to keep the class relevant. It's just a matter of fact or fiction when it comes to believing the things that social media presents to it's readers.

Good or Bad? (12)

In this New York Times article, there is a discussion about whether or not technology in the classroom is as goo an idea as everyone would like for it to be. In one seventh grade English class learning Shakespeare, "...students are bent over laptops, some blogging or building Facebook pages from the perspective of Shakespeare’s characters. One student compiles a song list from the Internet, picking a tune by the rapper Kanye West to express the emotions of Shakespeare’s lovelorn Silvius." But, with the budget cuts and lay-offs, if this really the better future of classrooms?

I’ve said in some of my other posts that it seems as though robots will soon be taking over the classroom, but will that help? Unless there’s some kind of stimulation within the classroom for the students to better grasp their education, technology isn’t going to fill all the voids. There needs to be something other than the fallback to technology to change what’s happening, or better yet, not happening, in the classroom.

The article states “Some backers of this idea say standardized tests, the most widely used measure of student performance, don’t capture the breadth of skills that computers can help develop. But they also concede that for now there is no better way to gauge the educational value of expensive technology investments. ‘The data is pretty weak. It’s very difficult when we’re pressed to come up with convincing data,’ said Tom Vander Ark, the former executive director for education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and an investor in educational technology companies. When it comes to showing results, he said, ‘We better put up or shut up.’” 

I think that that’s a good phrase to sum up what’s happening within districts when it comes to funds and lay-offs. If nothing is being done to help, then how is anything supposed to get better? There needs to be a change, not just an update. In order for this to happen, someone needs to realize that technology isn’t going to fix everything, and it’s definitely not going to fix it over night.

Teachers or Robots? (11)

In this New York Times article, it is discussed how a degree from a postsecondary school is more and more necessary, but that it’s hard for students without the funds to afford the education needed to succeed. But, there are funds that are being put forth that will help with online classes and students with a lower income. However, it goes on to say: “Just how effective technology can be in improving education — by making students more effective, more engaged learners — is a subject of debate. To date, education research shows that good teachers matter a lot, class size may be less important than once thought and nothing improves student performance as much as one-on-one human tutoring. If technology is well designed, experts say, it can help tailor the learning experience to individual students, facilitate student-teacher collaboration, and assist teachers in monitoring student performance each day and in quickly fine-tuning lessons.” (source). Not only are these funds being put forth to aid in college courses, but they’re working towards helping K-12 as well. Though technology is a huge part of the next generation of students learning, there is also a strong demand for human-to-human contact, which some people are assuming isn’t going to be needed with all the advances. This is a very scary thought. Not only because teaching is a passion of so many people, but I think that more parents would be more reluctant to send their children to school where robots have taken over the classroom. Here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen any time soon, or preferably never.

Inconsiderate (10)

This New York Times article is from 2007, but it is still as relevant today as it was then. Like I’ve been saying in my posts thus far, teachers and professors from a different generation than ours are not used to the technology that we’re used to. We are used to having the internet and the ability to talk to anyone at our disposal at any given time. Older generations of teachers who are stuck in an era of chalkboards and clapping erasers don’t realize the necessity that we have associated with our cell phones and the perks that come with them.

In the article a professor takes a students (fake) phone and smashes it with a hammer because it went off in class. Ten years ago, I would have been in sixth grade and nobody would have had a cell phone going off. Now I know students as young as second and third graders are carrying cell phones, and no doubt trying to use them during class. Sitting in a college classroom, 9 out of 10 people are on their cell phones, most likely checking their social media site or texting their boyfriend/girlfriend about how they’d rather be anywhere but in that class. I am one of those people, but I only do it until the class starts, then I put my phone away. 

With this increase in technology within the classroom, not counting the ones that the teachers uses, there has been a serious decrease in respect. I’m not sure if it’s the parenting or the lack there of maybe that’s forcing students into completely ignoring their superiors and blatantly disregarding the feelings of the people around them. I know that when I’m a teacher I will let my students have one cell phone slide, but that’s it. More than once and something has to be done or the student will continue to walk all over me, and I will not have that. My theory is that if I’m putting in the effort to teach you without having my cell phone blowing up my pocket, you can do the same thing. Nothing huge is going to happen in 45 minutes, and if it does, you’ll either find out from me or after class is out.

Stealth (9)

Though this isn’t classroom technology related, it is education and technology related. This New York Times article is about the Educational Development Corporation would remove all its products from Amazon’s ‘shelves’ due to them being a “predator.” “Educational Development Corporation is a United States-based trade publisher of educational children's books produced in the United Kingdom by Usborne Publishing Limited (Usborne). The Company operates in two segments: Home Business Division (UBAM) and Publishing Division (Publishing). The UBAM division distributes books through independent consultants who hold book showings in individual homes, and through book fairs, direct sales and Internet sales. The UBAM Consultants also distribute these titles to school and public libraries. The Publishing division markets books to bookstores (including national chains), toy stores, specialty stores, museums and other retail outlets. It also owns the Kane/Miller Book Publishers” (source). In the article, it talks about how Amazon lowers the prices so much that the company they’re taking away from the actual funds of the company. Though EDC doesn’t sell e-books, they are noticing the substantial price cut with their physical books therefore they removed their 1,000+ books from the website to stop Amazon’s taking over of the company.

Are We There Yet? (8)

In this article, one line really stood out to me: “I am 34 years old and don't think twice about cordless phones or wireless remotes on televisions, but I bet they were a big deal when they first came out.” Obviously I am not 34, but I am 21. I’m not that far behind a 34 year old technologically. I was born into a technological age; my family had a computer as soon as they first came out, I’ve never gone a day without a television in my house where I don’t have to get up to change the channel, and cell phones have been second nature to me for the last fifteen years. However, not everyone was born into the technological age that I was. 

I had a multitude of teachers growing up that were around fifty or above in age. They were not born into a technologically advanced age that I was born into. I still hear from my mom about how she only had five channels growing up and she had to get up to change the channel. Of course I just roll my eyes and brush it off, but it does play a big part in the use of technology in not only the classroom, but every day life. My mom is an accountant and when her boss decided it was time to take taxes to the computer instead of doing it by hand, my mom boycotted; she wanted nothing to do with technology because she had been doing the taxes by hand for 25 years, so why change now? This is very similar to integrating technology into the classroom.

Similarly to my pervious post, educators who have a routine and are set in their ways without technology don’t want to be told that they need to bring technology into their classrooms after going 10, 15, 20 years without it. They need to be shown a pretty good argument as to why they should integrate it, and this article does a very good job of breaking down the reasons in a classroom friendly way. 

Old Dog, New Tricks (7)

“There can be infinite uses of computer and of new age technology, but if teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails.”

This is a quote from Nancy Kassebaum (US Senate). I’ve been reading comments and blogs on technology in the classroom, and it seems as though “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks” is an appropriate fall back for teachers already in the system. Technology is a huge part of the fast-moving generation that we, as future educators, are a part of. We have to be the new face of teaching in schools, and technology is the way to be that new face. However, it’s easier said than done. 

With classes such as this one, we’re learning how to integrate technology into a classroom through reading about it, but without actually having a classroom to integrate it into, it’s not as easy to do as we would like. But, just the knowledge alone can help us. Therefore, we need to make sure that we take every opportunity that we can to bring technology into our classrooms. My question is though: If the district that you’re teaching in doesn’t have the funding or capabilities to integrate technology?

Not only does the economy that we’re suffering through right now hinder our abilities to easily integrate technology due to lack of resources, but there isn’t funding for professional development either. If a current teacher doesn’t know how to seamlessly bring technology into their classroom or better yet, doesn’t know how to teach through or work technology, how are they expected to have it in their classroom? Without the adequate funds and resources, it’s going to be nearly impossible for teachers who are used to working sans technology to just put it into their classrooms and not hit technical snags or simply not be apt enough in the technology to use it correctly.