tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post3943176477794615683..comments2022-02-02T05:14:16.507-05:00Comments on Singing in the Bathtub: A Plugged in CultureNick!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12764471824772792515noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-45290708530075964942009-08-29T21:51:49.188-04:002009-08-29T21:51:49.188-04:00Another insightful response. It's interesting ...Another insightful response. It's interesting to hear from an elementary school teacher and a high school teacher (not too reassuring about the students' lack of transferable skills). <br />At the preschool level it's all about socializing, interpersonal skills, self-help skills and so on. In our school where we see children for a few hours a week and know that nearly all the children spend time on computers (no cell phones or text messaging yet, thank goodness), we have made the conscious decision not to have computers in the classroom. Only on rare occasion do we show a literature based video. We are confident that the children will gain the technological skills they need at home, but what we provide is the opportunity to learn to function as social beings and to learn interpersonal skills. We read, sing, dig in the dirt, make art, and provide real life experiences using as many senses as possible. It's upon those skills and experiences that the children will be able to build meaningful technological knowledge as they grow.<br />Like you, Maura, we feel more assured about the future success of a child who has good social skills, curiosity, imagination, and self- confidence, who may be lacking some academic acumen than one who can spit out all kinds of facts and figures but who can't relate well to others or take care of themselves.<br />I just keep thinking and thinking about all this and how the issues look at each stage of education. <br />Thanks, Nich for initiating some compelling discussion, and thanks fellow teachers for participating (again, using technology to allow us to communicate across the country)!Anne Deysherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01661791766036128171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-73271636871550108412009-08-29T01:55:09.391-04:002009-08-29T01:55:09.391-04:00Actually, I have found that my students, while the...Actually, I have found that my students, while they have a lot of electronic gadgets, are not very savvy. They have been using a TI-83 graphing calculator with me for over a year, which I think is pretty intuitive to use, and they are completely lost anytime I try to teach them something new. I ask them to find something on the Internet, and they are not as quick as me. They learn to use their specific electronics but don't have transferable skills. Perhaps that is my fault as a teacher, but I believe it is the fault of the narrowness of tools they use.<br /><br />I, too, was totally steaming as I watched the video. Text messages are "time spent with rigor, relevance, and relationships" !?!?!?!? I am not sure I have the words, but I'll try. If you have ever read an email or paper from an average current high schooler, you will realize that they spend far too much time reading texting language and not enough time reading proper English language. There is no academic or any other type of rigor in texting. I'll leave the relevance point alone, as I don't see how text messages are an argument for relevance. And relationships: plenty of students (and probably myself included) text or email friends who are within reach by phone or, say, walking across the school. There is definitely a loss in personal relationships due to the invasion of personal technology. Half of my students would fail a quiz that asked them to address an envelope correctly.<br /><br />I think there is a place for technology to complement traditional classroom lessons and certainly, I hope that I am teaching my students skills that will help them be successful in the digital world, but I actually think their character is a lot more important. So I'm going to stick to that. I'd much rather teach a student who already shows respect, responsibility, curiosity, and integrity but needs a lot of support to use a graphing calculator, than the other way around. While a podcast might help them with their listening skills and might excite them at first, they are never going to reminisce at their 20th high school reunion about that great podcast they had. Also, I'm never going to write a glowing letter of recommendation for a student who is a tech genius if they don't know how to interact with me as a teacher and whose interpersonal skills I question.<br /><br />Although, I did just get an email (written in proper English) from one of my students about a sale on almond butter and apples, which is my daily snack at school. Thank goodness for technology sometimes.<br /><br />Thanks, Nick, for posting this video and getting the conversation going. I might bring this to my kids and see what they have to say.maurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13470215281982018625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-45681891284037553502009-08-28T23:03:27.606-04:002009-08-28T23:03:27.606-04:00Well said, Rebecca, especially from your perspecti...Well said, Rebecca, especially from your perspective as a 5th grade teacher using technology responsibly.<br /> Another thought about googling is where is the critical thinking and discernment involved? It's scary to think that while kids can obtain whatever factual information they want, can they actually perform academic tasks without technological help? Technology should be a way to augment learning but not supplant academic skills and real life knowledge.Anne Deysherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01661791766036128171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-14850736510054109642009-08-28T22:55:30.064-04:002009-08-28T22:55:30.064-04:00This is an example of getting technology in the cl...This is an example of getting technology in the classroom right, and I hope I expressed my acceptance of this strongly enough. <br /><br />A comment that I made to the original video on Facebook was, "My nightmare is a classroom of eight year olds with laptops open on their desks, I hated that enough in my recent stint in college, but in grammar school?" I've seen this image in HP commercials!<br /><br />I think teacher directed use of technology is important because these kids will need to learn this. Especially in the inner city where they may not get it at home.<br /><br />My experience has been with kids who have been used as commercial pawns, bullied into thinking they need the latest technology to find acceptance, valuing it over actual face to face interaction, and who live in families of affluence who can indulge them because it's easier than saying "No!" and having a conversation about why.Nick!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12764471824772792515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-23403342869898167832009-08-28T22:13:52.011-04:002009-08-28T22:13:52.011-04:00My school received a grant to be a Technology magn...My school received a grant to be a Technology magnet. This meant that our PI school received 5 desktops per classroom, an LCD projector, a smart board, a teacher laptop, camera and video camera, and an tv/dvd. This all rocks. The students use the internet for research. If I don't know an answer to one of their questions, they look it up online. The Smart Board is incredible for interactive/tech lessons. <br /><br />THIS is how I like to use tech. in my classroom. You and Anne are right: kids NEED social interaction. Teachers are responsible for teaching citizenship, communication, and personal growth. <br /><br />What, may I ask, is this "creative thinking" that this video is proposing computers can do for children? It mentioned using Google for an answer, or looking up a location on Google Maps. Yet, where is the creativity in finding the answer opposed to constructing the answer through experiment and experience? Where is the spacial/mathematical development in typing in a location on the internet vs. looking at a map or in an Atlas? <br /><br />In 5th grade the hardest standard I teach is making inferences and generalizations. Will Google tell me what I can infer... or will thinking about my own experiences ... oh wait, I sat infront of the tv all day... <br /><br />Yes, children must be well-versed in technology and yes, it is crucial for teachers to step up to the plate to meet the changing needs of a new generation. HOWEVER, this also needs to be kept in-check.Becnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112020776498532487.post-71379050460899754832009-08-28T21:51:28.795-04:002009-08-28T21:51:28.795-04:00Whoa! My blood is boiling, too! I am heartened to ...Whoa! My blood is boiling, too! I am heartened to know that someone as young as you is troubled by this technology instead of real life experiences, too. I and many teachers of my generation think we are dinosaurs when we espouse the value of social interaction and getting outside, reading books, playing instruments, creating with real art supplies, and so on. We've made similar observations about preschool children's behaviors, and we've see radical changes over the many years we've been teaching. <br />So the kids will be tech savvy. Who will perform day to day tasks for them? How will they form real relationships? How can they care about our environment if they've never spent time in the great outdoors? I could go on and on.<br />I thought that message was way too long, too! Boring! I'm with the "Last Child in the Woods" advocates...Anne Deysherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01661791766036128171noreply@blogger.com