Learning in a Digital Age

After reading Prensky's article on learning in a digital age, I feel that I've been out of the classroom for way too long to truly comment on the integration of technology and to what extreme.  My knee jerk reaction with every paragraph was mumbling to myself "no way".  I really have a hard time believing that cell phones in a classroom are a good thing.  The students may be "digital natives", but this does not have to play a role in every aspect of their lives.  Sometimes it is ok to revert back to the olden days of verbal and written communication.  I can't help but think of how customer service has transitioned from "can I help you?" to "please listen closely as our menu items have changed; press 1 for..."; personal to impersonal.

If gameplay is a must use method in engaging students then we have lost our ability to teach.

It all seems a little sad to me and maybe I'm more of a stubborn "digital immigrant" than I originally gave myself credit for.  I personally believe we're catering to the wants more than the needs of the students.  Real life will not be presented in game format.  Not everything in the work place will require each individuals input to make it more accommodating for them.  Not everything is going to be virtual and mind altering in its presentation.  

I do agree that empathy should play a role in selecting teachers as bed side manner plays a role in a good doctor being a great doctor.  One thing to remember is that not every doctor has the best bedside manner but that does not mean he or she is a bad doctor, in fact, they could be the best in their field.  In the same respect, not every teacher will exhibit intense empathy toward their students, this does not mean they're not a great teacher.

Inevitably, the digital era is here and I personally think the best way to handle it is to let each individual teacher integrate it in their own unique way.  To avoid having too much or not enough of a good thing will require most of us to feel out that happy medium.

Views on Powerpoint

According to Jamie McKenzie, powerpointlessness is the loss of a message for technology's sake through the use of powerpoint.  After reading the article, I can't help but think of almost every powerpoint presentation I've experienced and feel that each, in its own way, was powerpointless.  Although many of my beliefs regarding technology in the classroom have changed since taking a course on educational technology, I can safely say that my feelings on powerpoint have not and probably will not change.  The best advice given by McKenzie to teach students to learn, think, and communicate thoughtfully with powerpoint is to integrate other forms of communication to persuade, convince, inform and enlighten.  I believe the best platform for a powerpoint presentation is with an audience of hundreds of listeners who may be looking for the main points of a presentation.  From a teacher's perspective, powerpoint is one more barricade between the teacher and the student preventing personal interaction.  I suppose being on the receiving end of powerpoint has left a bad taste in my mouth and I would prefer to refrain fro subjecting my students from the dim lights, slide shows and words zooming with sound across a screen.  If someone ever showed me a presentation that was, as McKenzie states, dynamic, responsive, and organic, I may change my mind.  For now, I am convinced that this method of presentation is forever powerless and pointless.

Higher Order Thinking & Problem Solving

How can technology help develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills?

According to Benjamin Bloom, all six levels of learning must be utilized to ensure that both higher order thinking and problem solving skill are being developed.  Technology, when used appropriately, can enhance learning by keeping the student engaged in a variety of digital lessons.

The key to enhancing knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation is to properly train educators in the best and most appropriate ways to utilize technology as a learning tool.  Simply surfing, copying and skimming websites will prove detrimental for the students and a waste of resources and effort for the teacher.  Professional development, continuing education, techtorials, and administrative support all play a critical role in the implementation of a successful technology program.  In addition, a teacher must feel comfortable with the technology before using it.  When a teacher feels confident in integrating technology into a lesson, the effectiveness of that technology is reflected in the students ability to problem solve and use higher order thinking skills.

Class Expectations

Technology seems to be obsolete the moment it becomes available to the public.  I know there are many resources that could help me guide a classroom.  Ultimately, I would prefer to refrain from using any technology in my classroom unless every student has equal access to that technology (meaning a computer for every student).  I would like my class to be interactive with me and one another and not focusing on a screen or overhead.  Accessing information from home, on the other hand, is a different story.  I would love to have interactive labs and ongoing open forums with my students to help answer questions and to initiate topic specific conversations.  I would also like to provide access for parents to view their child's progress in my class, to see what we will be doing or what we have done on certain days and to ask questions if necessary.  

Technology & Me

I suppose I would consider myself average in terms of my knowledge and comfort level with technology.  I can navigate through new programs pretty efficiently and know where to look if I need help fixing a problem.  I enjoy using and downloading music on my ipod and using a digital camera.  I'm pretty confident that I could manage my way through all of the software options that come with these devices but find that I have better things to do with my time so I spend very little of it in front of the TV or computer.

a bit about me...

I'd love to say that I've always wanted to be a teacher but realistically, I was never quite sure of what I wanted in a career.  I knew I wanted to do something to help others and seemed to be intrigued by the human body in every way; physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.  My BS is in Health Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy.  Upon graduation, I figured I'd work as an EMT for a little bit to pay down my loans before going back to school for my masters.  God obviously had other plans for me.  Life happened, and before I knew it I had a husband, a home and two children.  I decided to stay home to raise my children until both were in school full time.  Once my children were in school full time, I applied to Rosalind Franklin University for my DPT.  I made it through the 3 steps of acceptance only to sit on the waiting list.  I figured I'd apply again the following year.  In the meantime, I worked in the nurse's office of an elementary school and found that I loved interacting with the students but did not enjoy my reactive role of waiting for them to come to me.  I enjoyed talking with the students so much that I felt drawn to the classroom and knew I needed to have more of a proactive role in their lives.  This lead me to Trinity (due to proximity to home) pursuing a masters in teaching instead of a DPT.  I am very excited about teaching and am confident that I can make a difference in my student's lives.  For now, I am being steered into teaching Biology since I have accumulated the most hours in that subject.  Eventually, I would love to focus more specifically on anatomy and physiology, health, wellness, and ultimately, bioethics.