Saturday, August 28, 2010
Why We Need To Teach Technology in School?
Please watch the video "Why We Need To Teach Technology in School." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnHdqpE4RM What is your reaction? In your opinion, is the video correct or incorrect or biased? In what specific ways should the content of this video impact education? Before September 13, add your thoughts in the comments section. You are invited to comment on other colleagues' comments.
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This is good.
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ReplyDeleteTechnology is changing exponentially, we as teachers are preparing our students for a world that will be very different from the world we entered into when we graduated. My hope is that I can inspire my students to be active learners, responsible digital citizens and dedicated to advancing the future through the use of technology.
ReplyDeleteFYI – my initial post was just a test since I’m the blog guinea pig ☺
ReplyDeleteI believe technology is somewhat of a conundrum in education. It can be a wonderful tool for teaching and learning, but in most cases it is still a tool, not a replacement for teachers. The challenge for educators is staying current on what capabilities technology can provide, determining how to employ them within time and other constraints. As educators, we must know how students relate to & use technology in order to leverage its’ potential. For instance, students today use social networking to collaborate and problem solve. If someone doesn’t know how to make an application perform a certain task they don’t look in the manual – rather they ask their friends if anyone knows how to do it, and frequently find the answer quickly. And we can do the same – just as Dr. Topp went to Google to find out how to make XL do something we can find chat rooms, blogs, etc. to see what other educators have found that works or doesn’t work.
I think what the video depicted is right on. The technology available to us is ever changing. Teachers need to find ways to keep up with what is going on and use current methods to engage students in authentic creative learning.
ReplyDeleteThere are many stumbling blocks involved. Many teachers are not tech savvy. Many do not choose to use their personal time to explore and learn more about what they could be doing to help their students learn through technology. Many still feel that technology is just a computer lab for playing learning games or typing or printing a paper.
Until we have decisive leadership in our schools that understands the power of learning through the appropriate use of technology, we will struggle to keep up. Those who try to keep current and use technology for the good of the kids will have to keep advocating,teaching others and hope for changes before we fall too far behind.
The video is right on target. It's mind boggling to think that I could connect with many of the things depicted because they have come and gone within my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is changing at such a rapid rate. Three or four years ago I heard that some of the technology was obsolete before it could be distributed to the public. How are our kids going to keep up with ever changing technology?
In the early years of my programming career, it was a luxury that was taken for granted to be able to stay with the hardware and software for a number of years (10 or more) before having to update. The rapidity of change is much too fast for that now.
I am new to the area of teaching. It is my second career. It's been frustrating to have computers in my classroom but not have access to what's available in the school in the area of math. Unfortunately, time is the biggest road block that I see right now. I don't have a lot of time to go and seek out what's available online. I know that that's a major issue for teachers in general. I do want to be able to access FastMath, AlgeBlaster, and MathBlaster that I know is available at my school since I teach math.
The video is correct...the students are ready for the technology. We need to be ready to deliver to them...engage them or enrage them...as the video said.
I was interested in the impact of the music on the tone of the feature. If there had been a more upbeat score or no score at all, would there have been such tense reactions?
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I appreciate the message. It has been relayed before (1959 for instance.) I taught during the onset of NCLB and the frenetic attitude it created was horrific. Much of the dynamic movement into technologic advancement slowed to a crawl. Every "spare" dollar went to investing in workshops, inservice, the newest schemes for creating (not teaching) good readers and thinkers (we called them our little statistics). And so, creative use of technology and introduction of new technology (with instruction for teachers) simply faded.
Much of the rebooting (if you will) of technology will depend on the funds available to each school district. The built in obsolescence of technology and the wealth of “information” paired with the dearth of efficacy make investing in the newest gadget iffy for most administrators. If you can’t trust the information and the technology is old before it is purchased, why get it? Hard choice, but we have to keep up with the children not be overwhelmed by the ifs, ands, and buts!
I felt that the video was absolutely correct in how fast technology has changed. More accurate in stating that our students need to be kept up to date with the rapidly changing world of technology. As I viewed the objects depicted in the video I realized in my lifetime how quickly technology has changed. When I see how the technology of today changes within even a year, It makes it very clear that technology needs to be a big push in the schools. I also realized that our children are expected to evolve even faster with technology than we did.
ReplyDeleteThis video should impact school districts to strive to educate staff in continuly changing technology in order to keep up with the technology and the students. So many of our students are already adept at using the most current technology at home and in social avenues. Educators need to hone in on what seems to be the item that holds the interest of students today.
I do realize from watching the video and reflecting on the changes I have seen during my short life that, I am way behind in integrating technology. I feel that a lot of times my students teach me so much about new technology. This really needs to be the other way around. Therefore, schools need to continue to get on board the technology rocket and educate the teachers as well as the students.
I think the end of the video has the most impact...'we need to be there to help them learn how to critically analyze information, to make their experience with these tools safe,' but we also 'need the tools to make this happen.' I feel I am very inept in doing either of these two things for our students as I myself don't feel that analyzing information on the internet (for example) is a strong suit of mine. This is why I am in the technology class, not just to fulfill a requirement for my program but also because I want to use technology to engage students. I want the tools to engage my students and the knowledge in how to use it. I agree with what Mary Blair stated "Many teachers are not tech savvy. Many do not choose to use their personal time to explore and learn more about what they could be doing to help their students learn through technology." I would justify the second statement, for myself, that it isn't because I don't want to use my personal time to explore and learn, but I feel it would take a considerable amount of my time to do so. Being a mother of two young kids that is not something I think is fair to them. When I do try to learn about new technology I feel it takes so much time to learn one simple thing.
ReplyDeleteAll in all though the video was interesting. To see how the technology has advanced, slowly at first and rapidly more recent.
I think what the video depicted was spot on. I agree with the creator when he states that, "If we don't adapt or adjust to new innovations...we can get left behind." And, it is not only the teachers who are being left behind, it's the students. I think this video relayed the creator's message in a simple and easy to understand way.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main messages that I took away from the video was that as an educator, I need to use technology in my classroom because the students need to learn how to use the technologies in a safe environment. I teach 8th grade, and as much as I don't like to admit it, I have many students who are more tech savvy than I am. I need to, "up my game" and learn new technologies and then make concentrated efforts to use the technologies in my classroom. The kids are ready to use technology, and technology will engage the students.
How could this video impact education? I think it depends on the school that you teach in. I believe that most schools have at least basic technologies that can be utilized by teachers. But, I also think that technology is not used in some classrooms because the teachers do not feel comfortable with the programs or the technology tools themselves. I believe that teachers need time during the school hours to practice with the technologies and time to create lessons that would effectively use the technologies in the classroom. From my experience, trainings will be given, and then after an hour with the product or technology teachers are then supposed to be able to use technology right away. I think that time should be given for the lesson planning part of using technology. If that would happen, I believe that more teachers would integrate technology into their lessons in a meaningful way.
The main message of the video was for technology to be used in the classrooms in an effective way in order that our children will have the tools they need to succeed in life. I agree with this and hope that in the educational setting challenges with technology will be overcome and that someday all children will be able to use technologies effectively.
As a preschool teacher, my job is to teach the basics for the children in my class... shapes, colors, numbers, letters. But what I feel I don't do enough of is teach technology and use technology in my teaching of the basics. My hope for myself upon taking this class it to learn new ways of incorporating technology in my everyday teaching to make it fun and worthwhile for my students. I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on the basics of technology, but the issue is getting the funding for tools in my classroom. Many administrators do not feel that the money should be spent on technology for such young children. I hope to change their minds about that and make them see that children need to be exposed to technology as they are learning so that they can become familiar and have confidence using it throughout their lives.
ReplyDeleteThis video is correct when saying that if you don't stay on top of the new, then you will get left behind. It is such a true statement, because the kids are staying up on it at home, but come to school where there are less resources. Teaching in a private school, the funds are rarely there for us to stay up on these technologies and it can really hurt the number of students that we teach. We like to pride ourselves on being a college prep school, but are not equipped to show the students the good sources they will need.
ReplyDeleteI think that many teachers are behind, and I know that I can be one of them. I learn about new technology items and ideas to use technology in my classroom from family members who are not in education. When we sit through iservices we never talk about what technologies we can use to improve learn, but question each other on why the freshman class is not turning in their homework. These two can go hand-in-hand. We should be shown the tools we can use with these students, and I bet this would improve their interest to turn in their homework.
The message sent by the video was 100% correct. I believe it is our duty as educators to teach children the skills they need to succeed in the world. If we do not teach the students about technology then we aren’t really giving them all the necessary skills they need to be successful. Technology is only going to grow and become an even bigger part of our world. Technology is not going away! We need to teach our children how to use technology because they will need it to be a productive part of society. I also believe it is important to teach children about technology because it is what they strive to know. Students want to learn about technology and by teaching them about and through technology we will be able to motivate them. Motivation is a key to academic success. Technology needs to be taught to our students.
ReplyDeleteOn how this video should impact education I am in agreement that it should have school districts educating their teachers on not only about teaching students the technology but how to use the technology as well. It is true that the biggest obstacle to teaching the students about technology is the lack of understanding that teachers have about technology. I must admit myself that I do not feel comfortable with all the technology that is out there. I know that I need more instruction in the area myself. I can imagine that I am not the only teacher that feels this way. The video should motivate schools to educate their teachers in technology and then the teachers will be able to pass their knowledge on to the students.
Technology needs to be taught in schools. We need to give our students all the skills they need to succeed. Technology is one of those major skills.
I thought this clip acurately exhibited the duty of educators today. It is essential that we prepare our students for the future, and the future is filled to the brim with technology. The clip shows how every other important technological advance (cars and airplanes) were essential to get us to where we are at today, and hence, that must be accomplished in school as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of teaching technology I get a little off track. My first reaction to this video is that to teach students how to use technology you need the most recent generation of expensive electronics, such as iPads, iPod touches, etc. But these are the tools/toys that a lot of students do not have access to outside of school.
ReplyDeleteThen as I watched the end of the video I saw the websites like Wikipedia, Photobucket, Google . . . I think it is important to remind ourselves that many students of all ages have access to the internet in and out of school and there are a lot of programs on the WWW that they can learn to use to find information, be creative, learn about other cultures, and publish. However, we need to teach them how to be ethical and how to judge the reliability/validity of the info they find on the internet.
I really take the internet for granted because it is such a daily part of my life. There is a multitude of sites that can get students in trouble but there are also wonderful tools on the internet that can help students gain knowledge and independence. Teachers need to guide them to consider consequences and make good choices.
I have seen this video as a requirement for a previous class. I feel that the most important elements of this video are presented in the last 30 seconds or so. Our students are aware of how to use a variety of technologies. It is our job as educators to not only teach them how to use the productively, but safely. In my experience, students need little instruction on using new technologies. They are of a generation where "playing" with a new tool long enough leads to mastery relatively quickly. However students need a lot of guidance on how to present information in a professional way and utilize their tools to make tasks simpler. I have learned through my project-based course that I teach that my students, however proficient in use of tools, need much guidance in putting together a project that will promote their ideas in a way that is presentable to people other than their peers.
ReplyDeleteI think this video was very powerful and right on target. We, as teachers, need to be educated and comfortable with technology so that we can create positive learning experiences for our students. In this day and age, the possibilities that new technology has opened up for us is almost overwhelming and exciting! The more students are exposed to these experiences under the supervision of an educator, the more comfortable they will be using technology in their own lives. This is becoming increasingly important in this technological age.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are many MAJOR roadblocks in that endeavor in the educational setting. Many teachers lack the experience and/or training to feel comfortable with integrating any kind of technology into their classrooms. I recall when, in one of my very first teaching assignments, the district was converting from a standard paper-pencil grade book to an online version. I was ecstatic, as in previous years I had purchased an individual program to make grade management much easier. For many of the veteran teachers, however, this was a major stress to them and they were resistant. In addition, quite often districts will only offer training for these new technologies before or after school, rather than in an in-service setting, which is frustrating.
The biggest factor, at least in my experience, with integrating technology is that schools just don't have the budget for it. In my current teaching assignment, as well as in my previous assignment, there simply wasn't funding available for any sort of technology. The textbooks we use are from 1998 and have very little technology built in. Up until recently, I didn't even have a classroom set of graphing calculators. Schools are doing the best they can with their shrinking budgets, but at some point the US needs to decide to make education a priority and put their money where their mouth is!
I believe this video is correct on the point that if we don't start remaining on the cutting edge, we as a nation will get left behind by those willing to make these choices.
ReplyDeleteMost adults I know admit this. However, when it comes to actually implementing these concepts in the classroom, they back off. Budgets, lack of proper training of teachers, and fear of the unknown. I hear so many friends say they don't want their kids to lose the ability to do it "the pencil and paper way".
My point to them is that, in the 21st century, students should be able to do both! A student today can't progress and grow without having critical reasoning abilities both with pencil and paper, and technology. The students don't see these two things as mutually exclusive, the way some adults do!
It will take strong willed educators, and those willing to go out on the limb to advance these ideas. We will be doing our students a major disservice if we don't continue to push for technology changes, and quickly!
I completely agree 100% with this video. And we as teachers need to do everything in our power to provide as much experience with technology as we can in the classroom to help prepare our students for the future.
ReplyDeleteThis video helps us to realize that technology is not a new concept in education. The technology is constantly changing. With all the different forms of technology that children are exposed to today, they need to learn how to use it, when to use it, how to adapt it, how to think "outside the box", how to create it, what is good about it, how to stay away from the bad uses, etc. They need to learn and be exposed to the good side of technology in school. The video says that students will be more engaged and motivated with the incorporation of technology in the classroom. I completely agree with this and have seen this proved true.
I appreciate that this video recognized that if even if teachers are not using these technologies, our students still are. In an age where there is so much information about any topic your could possibly dream of, it is so important that we teach them, not so much as to how to use the technology, but rather how to critically analyze the information they are getting from the internet, tv, and other media sources. And while many schools struggle to keep up with the quick pace and expanding costs of technological evolution, teaching how to criticallly analyze what the technology is proving does not require thousands of dollars. This is a skill that many of us already recognize as important and try to incorporate into our lessons. Technology may just give us the avenue that truly engages the greatest number of students.
ReplyDeleteI think the most interesting part of this video is the statement that students will engage with new technology, with or without the guidance of their teachers. Even though I am only a decade older than my students, they have grown up in a an environment that is much more technology saturated than the one I was raised in. Technology continues to develop at an incredibly fast rate, and my students are constantly submerged in it outside of the classroom. Rather than fear these changes or blame cell phones, the internet, iPods and videogames for creating disengaged students with short attention spans, we must rise to the challenge and use students' interests in these tools to our advantage.
ReplyDeleteThis video was an instant reminder of how quickly technology is advancing. As teachers, we need to be aware of the technological tools that are available and be willing to learn how to use them appropriately. Many students have these tools available at home and then are discouraged from using them during school hours. I believe we need to be incorporating technology in every grade level and in every subject area. Students are motivated through technology and we definitely need to take advantage of that. Sad as it is, but the problem with getting the technology in our classrooms is usually based upon the funding available.
ReplyDeleteI think the video was right on. As a special education teacher I lose focus on certain skills such as technology, when that is the one area I should be focused on more. I agree with many of the above posts that says that technology should be put into every subject area. The hard part is that until every student has a computer at their finger tips every day, getting that technology into the day is hard. It is a huge motivator and I hope that I will be able to find more and more ways to get my students to use technology. One thing I see now with all the state tests on the computer is that we may see less of the joy towards computer in general, at least with special needs kidos. I hope that I am wrong!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the sentiment that we are responsible for preparing our students for the rapidly changing world that they will enter when they graduate. In many ways technology opens doors for students and can enrich learning. By including technology in lessons we give students exposure with using those tools to help support and further their own learning. Our students have computers and gadgets in their lives that we never imagined when we were their age. However having access to something and knowing how to use it to support learning are two very different things.
ReplyDeleteJust like many others have said, the video is right on. As teachers we need to not only embrace technology but also keep up with it as it rapidly changes. I try to use when I can, but I know I should be using it more. The students like technology too. Just look at all the electronic devices they use these days. Is it too hard to imagine that cell phones may be used in the classroom sometime in the near future?
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