I really enjoyed this video so much! I found it very true! Some of the points the students were making are some of the things I think every day. They mentioned spending so much money on textbooks and never opening. I know I'm not the only one who thinks that! Students will be in so much debt when they graduate that it's horrible to think that we are wasting that much money. We need to focus on technology that could eliminate some of our textbook use.
I also agreed with the fact that we all have to be multi-taskers. It's impossible not to be! With so much going on with work, school, and extra-curricular activities, there just isn't enough time during the day.
"It's Not About the Technology"
Mrs. Hines' post is so incredibly true! I agree with the fact teachers must be constant learners. To be effective, you can't be behind. Like she said if you put all teachers in one school together, there ages span quite a bit, yet they've adapted. They should be examples to all of us.
I don't know how many of my teachers have complained that they've tried to teach it, we just don't understand it. Most teachers put the information out there and pray we get it. Mrs. Hines' is right though, it doesn't stop there. Learning is the most important thing! Like she stated, it may not look the same in all students, but you'll be able to recognize when the light comes on.
I also agree that teaching children to be creative and encouraging their problem solving skills is extremely important. If students are handed technology tools and that's the only way they know to solve something, what will happen if one day that tool is not available? It's important for them to know how to use technology, but it shouldn't be what they depend on.
"Is It Ok to Be a Technology Illiterate Teacher?"
I don't agree with everything in this post. It was all very good and very true. I particularly don't agree with the statement, "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.". I do believe it's a bit harsh. Technology is a vital part of the education system, I just don't believe it's the most important.
Teachers do need to be technology literate, don't get me wrong. It is very crucial that they know how perform basic computer skills. We all know this, but the most important thing is that they figure out the best way to reach their students. Whether that be through technology or another way.
What do you consider basic computer skills? If teacher's aren't tech literate, don't you think they will be incomparably limited in their resources?
ReplyDeleteFirst of all thanks for your comment Anthony. Like I said don't get me wrong, I feel teachers do need to know how to use technology. They shouldn't look at a computer and not have a clue how to turn it on let alone type a paper or make a presentation. What I meant was that we shouldn't stray away from the reasons we're really there teaching them. That means using whatever we can and using it well. I just don't want teachers to loose focus on what helps the student learn to their full capability. I don't think they will be limited. Most teachers I had in school found ways to make us learn without using the newest computer or piece of technology. They found a way to work with what they had. We shouldn't depend on technology to make students interested. What if I spend all my time in this class exhausting technology to make my teaching dynamic and then I go to a school where funding for things like that is non-existent? What am I suppose to do then? All I'm saying is that we shouldn't make it our sole goal to produce teachers who are technology literate.
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