Back to the Future by Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby is an elementary teacher. He is using technology in his class and having his students become more interactive. In his class they begin to think out of the box. The children use many applications to share information that they are learning and information they are organizing. The students in his classes use their laptops, which are individual. The many applications they use are wiki, flickr, blogs, and skype. Children enjoy what they are doing in his classes. The children began interacting with people all over the world. These students began to expand their personal learning networks by sharing their projects and blogs around the world. The main point of the video is that we need to use the 21st century tools to empower students to learn.
These students looked like they were enjoying what they were learning. Mr. Crosby did something amazing, something I wish all teachers would do. He included his students in the teaching. Students took the information that was provided to them and organized it in their own personal way by blogging and writing their stories. I think students learn better while they are working with something, when they are included in something. Teaching this way enables the students to save the information in their brains, rather than learning and then forgetting it after they take their tests. The use of the technology in class was great. The students were using it in a productive manner. I think that if educators include technology in their classrooms they need to follow a few rules. They all need to be knowledgable about the technology they will be allowing their students to utilize and they need to set rules for the use of the technology.
This video was created by Michael Wesch with the help of 200 student at Kansas Stae University. This video points out many aspects of life that college students face today. Their schools make them do certain things that make no sense and hinder them. From buying textbooks they will never open to sitting in a class with one hundred other people. Education is changing. Education is expanding. Even though education is changing there are so many people who want it to remain traditional. This idea is out-dated and ignorant.
From the viewpoint of a student, the education system is in need of a serious overhaul. This is the 21st century, where most people have some type of mobile device in their back pocket. Why are we sitting in a lecture hall with one hundred student? Why is the teacher in the front of the classroom writing on a board the people in the back cannot see? Technology has improved so much, why don't we utilize it? I spend six-hundred dollars on textbooks this semester and I have rarely opened them. I have killed so many trees throughout my college careers. Technology is a part of our lives, school is a part of our live. Why can't we have both at the same time? Learning can be improved so much if more schools forked up the money to buy the technology that is desperatley needed and to train those to use it.
From the viewpoint of a teacher, I think most would like not having to develop a bigger right or left arm from writing on a chalk or white board. I believe that if an educator is trained or knowledgable about technology, they can use it to teach their students. Teachers do not have much say when it come to the money alotted to them. That needs to be dealt with. Presidents of universitites need to realize that technology is not a disease. Technology might be expensive and ever changing, but it will improve the student's live. Student who interact more with their education, rather than sitting in a classroom, learn better and more. They begin to foster their own abilities and strengths. They begin to focus more, because they become interested. Technology is the future, why not embrace it now?
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I like the fact the you point out some of the points that I didn't pay attention. Overall,You did a really great job.