Technology overuse?

For a long time now, David Warlick has been one of my favorite bloggers. In a recent post about technology he writes...

"I honestly believe that these educators are seeking new ways to use new information and communication (literacy) technologies in teaching and learning for the very best reasons. But we need better answers than, “Because it’s technology. Our children will do anything if it’s with technology.” ..and “this is the engagement!” pointing at the an iPod Touch.

I continue to maintain that the little box is not what engages them. it is what happens through that box. It is the information experience that…

• Is responsive
• is fueled by questions
• provokes conversation
• is rewarded with currency
• Inspires personal investment
• is guided by safely made mistakes

When we talk about modernizing formation education, this is what we should talk about, not the technology."

In education, these are the things that I feel that we should be discussing instead of test scores. Technology is a tool, just like the book is a tool. Neither should be used to the exclusion of the other.

See the full text of Mr. Warlick's post at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=3009

Schools are Changing?

In this age of instant gratification using computers, I have a few concerns from a technology and an educational view.

1. If we are so tech savvy, then why was Sarah Palin vetted better?
2. If we are so tech savvy, then why are son many companies asking to be bailed out? Can it be that they were blind to what was coming or that they did not use technology properly to see what was coming?
3. If we are so tech savvy and want our students to be, then why do so many school systems block sites or worse, not have policies that govern technology use adequately or even worse, lack the hardware to use technology properly?

Just a few of my favorite questions at Holiday time...

Modern politics and technology

So we have elected a new President. Pres-elect Obama raised much of his money by on-line donations. He is a leader in technology by that alone! Will it be enough to get the schools on-board?

Content Review using Technology

Here in Maryland, we are forced to have kids prep for a number of exams as well as classrooms assessments (tests and quizzes). Often for kids who cannot or do not take good notes, a review of material is a must. However, time is of the essence and in the school day, there is not always time to review. So, I have begun to use quia for review. It has several ways to review...quizzes and games. Both of which I have found to be of great value. The quizzes save me time as the computer grades them for me as long as I have put in the proper answer key. The review games are valuable for those who need something a bit more interactive.

Another site that I like for review games is this game. This does the same thing but with a sports type theme. Kids can take a shot on goal in soccer or a 3-point basket in basketball for each question that they answer correctly.

Scores here have gone up, so they are working.

Simulations and Reading

It's funny...Will Richardson just had a post about reading on vs off line. I found it to be a bit controversial and had to respond to his post. My kids did a simulation from UCo at Boulder and an amazing thing happened...the kids did not read it! Just like I thought that they would not. I disagree with Will Richardson in that reading is reading and kids need to be taught not how to read on line, but how to read vs how to skim. Skimming is what they did! We need to teach kids to read and skim and more importantly, when which is appropriate to do!

I am curious about your thoughts and opinions.

Tech overload?

I was speaking to a friend the other day and she had just returned from a trip. She was complaining that her GPS battery ran out and she got lost. I asked her if she had a map. She stated that she did but that she had forgotten how to read it.

Ask a middle school student to multiply 15 X 18 and the first question you are likely to hear is "Can I use a calculator?"

Take them to the library and assign a research question and you will hear "Why can't I just Google it?"

My point is this...is technology eroding needed skills or is technology replacing needed skills? I concede that memorizing the counties of Maryland or memorizing state capitals is likely no longer a needed skill, however, technology is now replacing our need to do basic math, to spell and to use proper grammar. Not to mention basic research.

Is this a good thing? Is it a good thing to have basic skills mechanized? I am curious to hear your thoughts.

Day 2 at i3U

Today at i3U sponsored by HCPSS concluded today at Marriotts Ridge HS. I attended sessions on the Personal Response System (PRS), Google Earth, Excel and the things hidden in MS Word. I learned some tricks to make data bases easier. I learned that I need to update my version of Google Earth and some of the nifty things that it'll do. Finally, I learned what the potential in Word and PRS there is. I learned how to make forms in Word! I had no idea that could be done. As for the PRS, I have one, now if I can get the software installed, I am raring to go!

Is Today's Tech Too Much for Today's Kids?

As I drove back from Bald Head Island (a place you really need to visit), we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant for dinner. While waiting for our names to be called for seating, I wandered around the old country store. That is not the reason for this blog...the reason for this blog is what I saw the kids doing, mine and others. They were playing! With the sample toys and being social with each other. No MP3 players stuck in kids ears; no PSP or Gameboy machines. And I cannot help but wonder if we are not selling our kids short by providing the access to technology a little too easily...like our parents may have done with television. I saw kids thinking about how to solve puzzles with their brains and hands instead of a computer mouse. Are our kids becoming too technology dependent to the point of losing the ability/desire to think? I know that technology allows kids to create creatively and to share their work with others and that is a good thing. But I wonder, is there a point where providing technology is providing too much?

Teachers and the Technology Gap

I just finished reading a blog post by David Warlick where he was amazed at the enthusiasm that he felt from teachers in Colorado and Hawaii, even though the school year has just ended. While I am a bit surprised by their willingness to listen and their excitement (I personally am exhausted), I fear that the gung-ho attutude may be short lived. See, the problem, in my mind, with implimenting technology and "toys" as Warlick put it, into the classroom, more often than not is not the teacher. It is a short-sighted school bored (not a typo), a misguided principal or state big whigs with eyes on test scores instead of real learning. The money to purchase new equipment is not there thanks in large part to Pres. Bush and his cuts even while force feeding us NCLB. I was laughed at when I proposed, that to save network space, we issue each kid their own flash drive. It would work, but the money is not there. Every time I hear about a new technology proposal being shot down or tabled due to money, I can almost hear the Emperor from Star Wars VI say, "Now, you shall pay the price for your lack of vision".