Blog Post #4

1. Dont Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I have to agree with what was said in the post. I feel to shelter children from technology is ignorance. In today’s world everything revolves around technology and it is a must that we all know how to use it. Indeed there can be consequences when the use of internet is abused and taken for granted. I feel that for teachers and parents there is nothing more important than to teach your children the proper and safe way to use these new tools. As a future teacher and future parent, I will be teaching my students and children the proper way to use the internet, because by depriving them of such knowledge I’m depriving them of advantages in future opportunities.

“Don’t teach your kids this stuff, please” is a post posted by Mr. McLeod about the dangers of allowing our children to use the internet and today’s technology. Some may read this post and take it for what it is but I took it as Mr. McLeod being sarcastic about the whole issue. After reading Mr. McLeod’s post I have to say I stand in the middle. I disagree and agree to what his post has to say. Advancements in technology are continuously being made and it seems technology is what our society is starting to become dependent on. I believe it’s important that we introduce technology and the use of internet to our students and children, but keep in mind to also teach our children the consequences of abusing this new tool. In the end of McLeod post he says that he will be allowing his kids to be involved with technology and the internet. That it will be his kids in the end who will have a leg up compared to the kids who have been sheltered from what is inevitable.

2. The iSchool Initiative
This was a great video that for the most I agree with. I agree from the money saving standpoint. There have been many times that I purchased a book only to look at and never use. With everything being accessible through the internet it would be so much easier to look up the information online then to buy a 300 dollar book only to use once. Not only will I be saving on books but also like the video said I would be saving on printer inks, paper and pens/pencils.



Although all these things sound great I have to say that I feel that some things need to stay “old school”. Having taken a few online classes I know the conveniences of the simple type, click and send. However there have been times were I have had technical difficulties and was not able to turn in my work on time. I find that without having some sort of a paper trail it would be too easy for students to come up with excuses on why assignments weren’t turned in on time. Another concern of mine would be with equipment crashing. What happens if something like this occurs? Do students just lose everything, will they have to repurchase certain programs that they had downloaded onto their iSchools.

3: You Can’t Be My Teacher
“You can’t be my teacher” is a short video staring a young boy asking if you, the teacher, are capable of teaching him. The young boy questions if a teacher is capable to teach students about today’s technology, if the teacher themselves do not understand the technological world. The young boy makes sure to stress that even at a young age the knowledge of technology is important. At one point he even asks, as a teacher are you educated enough on our advanced technological world, or do you think you can get by teaching students with just the bare minimal knowledge.

I feel that the boy’s message is important since everything we do revolves around technology and the internet. I agree with what this young boy has to say. How could we as teachers and parents expect our students and children to succeed in this high tech generation, while we as teachers and parents try to get by with just the bare minimal.

4: Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
Lux Aurumque is a musical piece composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre. With the power of the internet he was able to gather 185 people from 12 different countries and compose this beautiful virtual choir piece. It so amazing what the power of technology and internet allows us to do. To know that none of those 185 people had never met in person, but were able to connect through the internet and create a beautiful musical piece is amazing.

With the power of the internet people are able to see and connect with others around the world without leaving their homes. The internet gives us this world of endless knowledge and the opportunity to create and accomplish things one might have thought impossible at one point. This video was an excellent example of just that. Some of these people may not have ever had the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience but with the power of the internet they were able to come together and perform for over 2 million virtual viewers.

# 5: Teaching in the 21 Century
Teaching in the 21 century is a short film based on how students learn in today’s society. With today’s world revolving around technology it only makes sense that the way we teach students would revolve around technology. It’s clear that the video is saying that everything a student needs to learn is all assessable through the internet. As teachers and parents it’s our job to teach students to learn how to fully understand these tools and to teach them how to use these tools properly and to their advantage. Like what is said in the film, there is nothing wrong with students using their laptops, cell phone, and i-pods in class. These items are just of much of a tool as pencil and paper.

By encouraging our students to use these tools we are engaging them to learn. Instead of shunning them out of the class rooms and always shining a negative light on them we can use these tools to keep learning fun and exciting. So what does teaching mean in the 21st century? Well to me it means to keep students engaged, to keep them excited, and as a teacher to keep up to date on our constantly changing technological world. If the resources are out there then as teachers it’s our job to show our students how to use them.