Blog Post #3

A Vision Of Students Today
This is a YouTube video posted by students from Kansas State University. The beginning of my college experience was similar to the answers that these students gave. Right out of high school, I was more interested in what was new on Twitter and Facebook then what was going on in my history class. Like most of my friends, I spent several hours watching TV, talking on my phone, or browsing the web. I spent about one third or less of my day going to class and studying. I took a few years off school after my sophomore year and since then my mindset has changed. I now have a full time job and I pay for school with my own money. I make sure that I go to class everyday and I try to focus on everything the teacher says, no matter how boring I may find it. I think there is a huge difference in what students are willing to work for when their own money is on the line. A possible suggestion for this video would be the percentage of students on scholarship or using outside funding to go to college.
I feel like the question this video is asking is WHY? Why are college students more interested in technology then the paying attention in an old fashioned classroom. I'm now 23 years old, and in my opinion I come from a generation ABSORBED in technology. We love the internet, we love social media websites, and we've spent a hundred more hours Googling a question rather than using a dictionary or encyclopedia. Schools should be spending time and resources learning how to evolve with my generation's way of learning. We are technology capable, so let's use it to our advantage. Incorporate technology into an everyday class and I believe students would wake up, they'd be interested, and they'd be able to relate and learn.

It's Not About Technology
This is a post written by Kelly Hines on her opinions about technology and today's teachers. Kelly starts off by writing in the first paragraph that "learning in the 21st century is not about the technology". When I first read this I thought, wait a minute... isn't this what EDM310 is about? OF COURSE learning in this century should be about technology! But as I read on the author breaks down what she means in a logical explanation.
Kelly suggests that there are many steps that teachers must grasp before they can use technology to their advantage. She explains that teachers must have a desire to learn new things and be innovated in their classrooms. She also describes the teachers should see each lesson from a students point of view, and find ways to make learning possible for them. I really agreed with her relation between innovated teachers and technology. If you don't have an innovated teacher, trying to improve them with technology is pointless. Kelly made several good view points in her post and I think in the end most readers would agree, it's not as much about technology as it is about innovation.

Is It Okay To Be a Technology Illiterate Teacher?

Karl Fisch really hits the nail on the head with this post! He brought up points in his blog that I think others are too afraid to say. As I've said in my earlier posts, I work in a field surrounded by technology. I create sales solutions for customers in cell phones, internet, and television services. The most frustrating thing in my job is dealing with customers that a.) know nothing about the devices they purchase b.) refuse to learn and c.) make the comment "I've just never been good with all this technology stuff". The other day I had a 30 year old woman come in with a list of numbers written down for us to program into her cell phone address book. When I tried to demonstrate how this was done, she said "Can you just do it for me? I'll just bring it into the store when I have new numbers to enter." WHAT?! As a sales representative all I can do is enter her numbers and shake my head. You can't help those who refuse to help themselves. Sadly enough this attitude is obviously carried over into our education systems.
I really appreciated how Mr. Fisch compared the use of technology today to the ability to read and write in the 20th century. That's an eye opener isn't it? Technology is the way of the future, period. There's no longer wiggle room to put it off, or refuse to learn. Educators of today need to be learners/teachers/doers/leaders. I really liked one of his concluding thoughts "You need to demonstrate continual learning, lifelong learning – for your students, or you will continue to teach your students how to be successful in an age that no longer exists." I think this sums it up. As future teachers we need to be prepared to teach them for tomorrow, and how to learn to teach themselves.

Gary's Social Media Count

I posted this to my blog because I like to see it as a constant reminder of how rapidly technology is growing (look at the number of texts that are sent each day!). As a future educator this means I have to be ready for anything. Teachers have to be an example for students in ways to mold technology into our everyday lives. If we're not giving students the opportunity to discover for their own where will they be when they leave the classroom? I know when I was in middle school, blogging (not that I even knew what blogging was then) was never something I thought would be a college assignment!