The introduction of
technology in my life had a slow start when I first came to the country.
However, with this recent wave of new technology popping up here and there—iPhone/iPad,
e-reader, laptop, game consul, how can I not get in on it? We are the
generation that relies most on technology, it has become a way of life and the
way of the future—it is a necessity in schools and in the workforce as
everything is now computerized. Regardless of what initiative one has with this
technology, it serves as an opportunity for self-improvement by being a way to
express thoughts quicker and more efficiently, exploration of a new and
developing world, and improvement of self-image.
The internet is the best form of communication even if it is not
used in direct contact with another physical being. It is a transfer of
knowledge—a place to learn and develop one’s self. Development starts with a
desire and curiosity to know. The internet is an endless pool of thoughts and
knowledge where one is able to explore and receive a response almost instantly.
My top three communication technologies are the iPhone, Youtube,
and, Social Networks. Forget about texting, the iPhone puts the world at your
fingertips. Everything is easily accessible through a few touches of the
screen. It has become essential in my life where I use it for alarms, music,
research, games, blogging—just about anything you can think of. Youtube allows
users from almost anywhere in the planet to upload videos for the world to see.
It provides a chance to learn and explore other countries and cultures without
stepping outside. It is a medium for education as a student can easily search
instructional videos and lectures. In my classroom, I would recommend students
to seek the help of YouTube as a source of supplemental explanations for even
I, as a student, am currently using it to assist my understanding of math
problems. I don’t socialize much on the internet but Social Networks (like
Facebook and MySpace) are a good place to meet with other people. I remember
when I was Olivia’s age, I also had a Myspace. I customized my page every few
weeks, I would learn how to search for images I wanted, and tweak codes to get
specific font colors. These minor things added up when I was put into a
computer science classroom and was able to recognize symbols of basic coding
and formats.
All these benefits sound amazing and will help a student
explore and work on his creativity. However, these sources produce potential
dangers and massive sources of distraction. Going back to the video with
Olivia, she spends about five hours a day online customizing her Myspace
account or chatting with friends. How is there time to do homework or
recreational activities? It is fun to be creative customizing MySpace pages,
but can they be as creative with writing assignments? Children no longer know
how to put their creativity on paper because it is made easy to take an idea
off another website. She, along with some of the other students from High Tech
High said texting was very important to them and they could not put the phone
down.
Because of texting,
students do not need to physically speak to each other and as Olivia’s Big
Sister says, “I have learned to shorten about every word in the English
language to three letters and/or numbers.” This way of writing is sticking with
students who can longer produce complete sentences or fully spell a word.
Technology is the way of the future so taking one step forward,
we must find a way to include more educational material into the world of
discovery our students revolve around.
Ariel, I think you choose 3 important forms of technology. You're right, forget texting...the iPhone does it all. I recently bought my first Smart Phone and I love it! It really does do it all. My husband asked me why I wanted it and I told him that I HAD to have one. I wanted to be able to access whatever I needed with a touch of the screen. Having access to the internet is definitely a place where people can develop a sense of self and discover who they are. The internet makes it easier to learn new things, research information and allows us to be creative. Youtube has helped me out with creating this blog. Thankfully, our class instructor posted the link on how to create the Blog and it helped me out tremendously as this is my first blog. While access to the internet does allow us to foster a more creative side, it does take away from being creative "on paper". How can we as teachers create a balance between the two for our students?
ReplyDeleteExactly! I just got my kindle in the mail today..just adding to the list of must-haves.
ReplyDeleteBut that's the big question, how can we find the balance? Well, since we know all this technology interests them, how about have them research the history or the making of the iPhone--the technical details that we forget exist. It is an assignment that can help them further establish interest in technology. They gain research, technological, and writing skills.
Ariel, you hit on some great points when it comes to not only kids today but also even adults not being able to form complete sentences or fully spell words. For the most part we have all become entrenched in this texting world where you want to respond as fast as possible and in as few words as possible that the texting language is creeping into our formal language. Also, agree that we are all spending way to much time on the internet. 4-5 hours a day for a high school student that is not doing schoolwork is too much. Face-to-face interactions are no longer the norm and it seems more relationships are formed and managed over social networking.
ReplyDeleteYouTube is a great source of knowledge and is great to use as secondary sources of information. I too used it, in particular PatrickJMT, to get through some of my calculus courses. If I didn't understand a lesson, I would use those videos as an alternative. There are many ways to explain a lesson and those videos were a great resource.
Technology is a great resource for us as future educators. We just have to know how to use it efficiently and effectively for our classrooms.
That's right! YouTube has probably been one of the most beneficial technologies for us as college students where we can find additional lectures and the explanations of complex problems. I guess it comes down to how much you want to limit yourself and try to not get distracted.
DeleteAriel, I need to say that I enjoyed reading your blog. You write so professionally that it seemed like I was reading more than just a fellow students work. I think it was a good idea starting with your short anecdote about your coming to America and realizing that if you are going to fit in with the crowd and adapt, you would have to make technology a major part of your lifestyle. I definitely agree with your idea that Youtube is a great source for exploring the world. I too have explored the world via Youtube whether it was exploring the depths of the ocean or the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, Japan.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated your comments about the video. It is nice to see someone looking into their past and realizing that they were once in Olivia's position. I find that technology will only grow starting with the world of today and it will improve the way we teach Mathematics when we are teachers.
Technology hadn't developed as much when I was in the islands, but education was also different there. There was more time to study, explore, and play with physical objects rather than virtual ones. It was much more fun and meaningful to be able to see sulfur springs in real life than to see a video of one. Of course we can't always afford all the physical objects and tickets to travel but it was great seeing those things in real life. And thanks for the comment.
DeleteTechnology definitely will help us advance as long as we use it in moderation and become aware if it's distractions. As a teacher, I wouldn't want my student googling a word problem and coping out the solution. They don't always learn because they know how to research.