Is technology cold? I don't mean chilly.

So...I've been thinking about a comment that I read this week about how technology is impersonal. I really do not know what I think. With computers between us do we miss out on that human contact or in the age of technology is the concept of human contact going to change? Is there a generational gap? Do people who have grown up in this technological age feel more comfortable when they are "connected", do they feel like they are having human contact when they are interacting with their friends online? I do not have any answers...I do not even have a hypothesis. This concept of human contact being beyond physical space is just very interesting to me.

What would need to occur in order to force quick, sweeping change in education? We move at a snails pace when enacting change, but is this technological revolution different? Is it a true revolution? Will our education system have to change in order to survive? I imagine if countries started surpassing us (like they are) and education becomes much more accessible online....people would begin to look elsewhere for their education. Will a demand for something more effective, and the availability of more global options fuel an educational transformation?

Blogging

I have learned a great deal about blogging. Initially when I started this project I thought of blogs as a means to communicate with your friends or post your own ideas, somewhat like a journal. I still see its use as a journal of sorts, but now I can see the value of utilizing it in education. Blogging may be used as a means to communicate with my colleagues and further develop our professional abilities. It could be used by our department to store valuable articles or ideas about the field. Blogging is also great for the students and enhances the learning process by making it more interactive and meaningful. Students could create their own blog, construct a blog on a topic with classmates, or blog with people from all over the world. The opportunities are endless.

Through creating my blog I can also see how much more there is to learn. I thought after the first day that was all there was to do. Then on the second class we learned about all of the different features that enhance one's blog. These features made my blog so much more interesting. I never would have found all of that information if I had not dug deeper and played with the technology. I imagine there is so much more to discover.

Thoughts on Mindtools

I took this course, because I support utilizing technology inside the classroom. After reading the assigned articles I am begining to see just how valueable it is. The main things that I learned this week from the readings is how narrow my understanding of technology truly is. Two things really struck me. First, I saw how I tend to use technology as a means to help people study or display something that they already know versus utilizing the technology to learn. The article on Mindtools really opened my eyes to seeing the potential in using tech. to construct an understanding. I especially appreciated the portion that discussed how to get the most out of your computer and the student i.e., use the computer for retrieval and the student for problem solving. In addition, I saw how technology is the perfect tool to help my students construct their own understanding of the content in an active and meaningful way.

It becomes difficult to narrow down all of the ways that technology is relevant in education. In the end, I do not believe there are many things that are more relevant. Our world is becoming increasingly complicated and information is expanding beyond our comprehention. The only way students will be able to process, understand and manipulate this information effectivly is through the utilization of tech. Technology makes the information active, relevant, fluid, and meaningful. If we do not use it in education, I feel we are doing our students a huge disservice.

I was asked how I will make a difference through using technology. To me that seems like a loaded question. It seems difficult to not make a difference. What will students lose if teachers do not use technology? In the end, if I work to integrate tech in my classroom I can see only benefits.

However, I can discuss all of the reasons that tech. is great, but there are always concerns and questions. As I read the articles several questions popped up. How do I access effective technology? How do I afford it? What do I do in a school that there is little access to technology? Where do I learn how to integrate it properly? How do I assess what students learning? How does one balance the push towards satisfying LOT content standards with letting students construct an understanding of content that has no defined goal? How do we teach students to interact with the information in a meaningful way? How do we structure an assignment, while still keeping it open enough so that it meets the diverse needs and abilities of our learners?

I have no doubt that there are solutions out there. I look forward to learning more.

Hello...

This is an attempt at my first blog. I hope to share ideas and construct a better understanding of technology. Maybe by the end of this I will be a savvy consumer of technology.

Here's hoping. :)