This video offers shocking statistics that showcase how technology has become an essential aspect of daily life, and more importantly, how it impacts the lives of our students. If you're curious about how 'connected' our children are, watch this clip.
The conclusion offers ways and rationale to incorporate technology in our classrooms, which I find to be the most interesting part. Teachers typically wage a constant battle against cell phones and iPods in the classroom from day one. The truth is that the fight is not worth fighting. This video challenges teachers to find constructive uses for technology that is typically prohibited in schools. It makes me wonder whether the rules are really beneficial for learning or if they offer students one more reason to 'check-out'. Although it may seem radical to let students use cell phones and iPods in class, what other choice do we have? Let's be honest, as graduate students, how many of us keep our cell phone within reach while in class? Our phones are essentially like another bodily extremity. I can recall several times during class when a question has been raised that requires further investigation. Thanks to smart phones, the class was able to access information immediately and drive conversation in a new, otherwise inaccessible, direction. With these tools, there are no dead ends in the classroom. Encouraging students to seek answers to their own questions allows them to drive their own learning, which is often a challenging task to accomplish.
While boundaries for the use of technology are still necessary, prohibiting technology may further disengage students who already doubting their education. While I do not have the solution to the debate on technology in the classroom, as in most facets of a life, I think a balance will lead to the most success. Choosing an extreme may deny our students the right to a well-rounded, educational experience that prepares them for life. Teachers must remain current and informed as technology and its implications for the classroom are constantly evolving. Speaking of staying current, it's probably about time that I lay my Samsung flip-phone to rest and upgrade.
1 comment:
I think that, as with most things, your suggestion that a balance be reached between excluding cell phones and iPods, etc. from the classroom and providing unlimited use of these tools. Your example of graduate students using smart phones is a perfect example of how technology can enhance learning.
There are now books like Cell Phones in the Classroom that offer suggestions for how to harness such tools for learning.
Right now we are experiencing many changes in education because of technology. It is really an exciting time to be a teacher!
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