First Day of Class

      In the modern classroom, there are children who are more familiar with the apple store than the book store and we have to evolve with these students if we want to be effective teachers.  While many view the usage of technology as a gimmick or fun activity for the children, in reality it has become an important aspect for learning, and in many ways, far more useful than our older forms of educational resources.  While tradition inspires apprehension to change with the times, the reality is that our students' lives will have technology deeply ingrained in both their personal and professional lifestyles.  Knowing how to use technology effectively and efficiently is a necessity in the modern world and will only continue to advance.  It would be irresponsible to leave this important facet of modern life out of our curriculum.

     EDUC 504 may be a teaching with technology class, but it is also teaching for the future.  If we can utilize what we learn in this class, we are providing the students with an invaluable and nearly infinite informational resource.  This could change how we connect with students, how absence from class affects learning and how we interact with both students and parents.  With technology on our side, social media like skype, facebook and twitter can become teaching as well as disciplinary tools.  A child could skype into class from home if they are not feeling well, or parent teacher conferences could be conducted with a parent who may not be able to make it to the formal hours.  Furthermore, if we utilize social media we can have better understanding of how our students manage their time (in a non invasive way), create facebook events for important homeworks that would serve as reminders for students who may be forgetful, and have a better relationship with the parents.  If a child misses school we could send their parents and them a facebook message or tweet, which they may be more likely to receive than an email.  Also, sites like youtube have a plethora of educational videos, tutoring, and how-to's that could help students who may want to see examples.The possibilities for both classroom management and teaching are endless.

     Of course, there are problems that will arise from using technology in the classroom.  My biggest concerns are distractions such as facebook, twitter and tumblr.  If we could make them into a learning tool, that would be wonderful, but there will always be the risk of students instead just browsing throughout the entire class.  The chats on sites like facebook create a very real opportunity for cyber-bullying, which seems to be the new trend.  Finally, cheating could become easier due to google search and online chats.  However, these are problems that can be combated with filters, close monitoring, and assignments that are due in class.  

     The article we read spoke about the demand for change in the classroom.  Students want, deserve, and expect their teachers and their classrooms to keep up with technological advances.  Furthermore, by installing a familiar and more imaginative medium to the classroom, we are relating to their lives more.  This will help keep students interested in what we as teachers want them to learn.  I personally agree with this.  When I was younger we used no technology, and instead were always forced to go to the library and other outdated routes.  It made me disinterested and disengaged more quickly.  I was more comfortable with the computer by the time I was a junior in high school.  When teachers actually took advantage of technology, the classroom would become more alive and more students participated because they felt more comfortable.  Instead of the world of books, where they may have been marginalized, they were now being confronted with technology and many of us felt much more confident in our abilities.  I think if technology is used correctly, we could position ourselves to be able to teach more in a day than was ever possible before.  Students are used to taking in more information than of those in the past, and it's time we try to teach with this "new" and invaluable tool.