Blog Assignment #5

Don't teach Your Kids This Stuff Please

Dr. Mcleod, an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky, discusses in a highly satirical poem the stereotypical criticisms technology receives today.  For many different reasons, people are unwelcoming to the introduction of technology to students and the changes this brings about.  Parents fear the exposure their children will have access to; while educational professionals worry the traditional methods of teaching will become extinct.  Although I advocate the use of technology in the classrooms, I do not feel it is time for students to put down their pen and paper.  The incorporation of technology in the class room should be just that, incorporation.  This should be done in moderation and not taken overboard by allowing technology to consume every aspect of education.  In the event of a worldwide catastrophe that could disable communications, humans must still have the capability to communicate without the assistance of technology.   Parents should be concerned about the materials their children have access to on the internet, which makes it all the more important to allow them monitored access.   By allowing access, children learn to make healthy decisions regarding the content they choose to view on the internet.  It is the parent’s responsibility to stay vigilant and informed on exactly what this content is.  

iSchool Initiative

No books?  No paper?  No pencils? No copy machine?  This sounds like an Alice Cooper song and every school boy and girl’s dreams come true.  There is no argument that our school system desperately needs reform, beginning with budget cuts issues.  Travis Allen believes he has the answer to solve this problem.  Apple’s iTouch technology already possesses applications, such as graphing calculators, periodic tables,  and access to textbooks along with boundless other resources that can be valuable to all subject areas taught in school.  With slight modifications, Allen has a vision for schools to use iTouch through a new innovative iSchool.  With the assistance of customizable applications that allow teachers and students to score and track assignments, among many others; a better line of communication will be established between teacher, students, and parents.  Assignments are also turned in and completed on these devices.  Allen’s thought behind this use of iTouch technology is that it will save school districts approximately $600 dollars a student each year.  This all sounds wonderful, until thought of more.   As previously stated, I do not feel it is time to put pen and paper down.   Why can’t children be technologically literate and use technology as a tool in their academic career without  completely phasing out the older traditional methods of learning?

In Ergonomics' November 2009 Issue, the principles for the wise use of computers by children were deeply discussed.  Among the many implications that were discovered among children who have had extended exposure to digitalized print media, the two that concern me the most is the potential for adverse vision development and musculoskeletal problems.  These are potential hazards are ones  parents or teachers cannot shield their children from.  As they can monitor the content children view, they cannot control what effects will take place physiologically.  While the iSchool initiative is a wonderful idea, it should be used carefully and in moderation.  

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

Viewing Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir perform ‘Lux Aurumque’ was absolutely amazing and a treat.  Even more amazing was viewing a subsequent performance which took place in 2011.  Rather than the 158 individuals from 15 different countries seen in his original production; Whitacre surpassed his own achievement and assembled 1,752 vocalists from 58 different countries to perform 'Sleep'.  This type of collaborative work is a good step in the direction for world peace.  The language of music is the same worldwide leaving no barriers to overcome.   Having this number of people from a large array of backgrounds come together in one similar interest to give life to one composition proves mankind has the capability to live in harmony with one another.  I hope that other pieces such as these two can be made possible to move toward a more peaceful world.  

Teaching In The 21st Century

In this video, perhaps the most powerful statement Kevin Robert’s asserts is that educator who are teaching in the 21^st century are no longer the main source of information, but rather act as a filter to the information children have access to.  With the many different avenues found on the internet which students have access to find information; they must be taught about responsibility, reliability and integrity as it pertains to the internet.  This, Robert’s feels, can be obtained through using these internet tools by engaging students to solve problems and think critically with their assistance rather than just using them as means for entertainment.  The damaging label the internet has accrued over the years was a result of it being used as a source of pure entertainment and nothing else.   The need to train students to become self-sufficient on the internet and to make responsible decisions meets the objectives of all three domains, along with their categories,  found in Bloom's Taxonomy.

Though contrived in the 1950’s, in a time the thought of computers being used on such a wide scale was near non-existent; the committee members who proposed these guidelines wrote them in a malleable way that they can pertain to any time period’s demands from education.   Perhaps the greatest reason technology needs to be incorporated and taught how to be used properly in schools is simply the entire foundation upon which it has been structured upon calls for this need.