This is my first blog! Wow, I never thought I would do this, but this is actually pretty neat. I thought I was pretty technologically advanced when I got an iPod, but I guess times have changed. Although, I must admit, technology can intimidate me sometimes. I feel as though our society relies too heavily on what is easy and accessible. I'm concerned that through the convenience of just about anything, that this generation is becoming expert Googlers rather than just simply experts.
While I have my hesitations about the use and purposes of technology in the classroom, a woman at a staff meeting at my PDS school gave a speech about how important technology is for teachers and students alike to utilize. In reference to teachers and technology, this woman said that being an educator is on the same level as being a doctor. In other words, she wouldn't go and see a doctor if he/she doesn't keep up with the latest news/information/breakthroughs regarding medical health (would you?) and she wouldn't send her child to a school where the educators didn't keep up with latest technological innovations that provide a stronger link between teachers and parents and provide an outlet for support for students who may need additional tools and references. This makes sense.
In conclusion, technology is a good thing and has a lot of potential to do great things for many people. But like Uncle Ben (from "Spiderman") said, "With great power, comes great responsibility."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hello Meredith,
ReplyDeleteNice Uncle Ben qoute. :-) I also like the doctor analogy that teachers, as professionals, should keep up to date. Our responsibility also includes being able to assess if and how a technology is appropriate for our context and students. Doctors have the FDA to help them figure out if drugs are OK... We don't have an organization that for evaluating technology tools- so we are on our own to make those decisions.
So our challenge- how do we balance what Uncle Ben says?
I really liked the theory attached to what our Title I lady said as well. However, I feel that we are not given the same respect from other fields and policy makers. Without respect and support--especially financial--we lack the resources to truly be practical professionals. I respect myself and my field because I am in it.
ReplyDeleteAs Patrick said, we lack support in other ways too. We are left to the dogs, in a sense, to find our own resources, funding, and opportunities without organizational and policital support. Policy makers are constantly challenging teachers to do more in their field--portfolios of themselves and their students, more standards to meet, etc. To truly be an expert, you have to pick an area and advance in it. We, especially as elementary teachers, have WAY too many areas to be familiar with before we are to be experts.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I noticed many similarities in our thinking of Technology and blogging. I thought just using a smartboard or having an IPOD as well was being pretty technological....Not it at all.
ReplyDeleteI love your reference to spiderman and I could not agree more what that saying. With anything in life we do we must learn responsibility and use it for the right reasons. Many things that have been created for this world have been misused and mistreated; ie weapons, wars, etc. Blogging is in no way close to that sort of thing, but can pose hurtful, or even dangerous senarios and we as bloggers need to make sure that doesn't happen.
Great job on your blog!!!
I also enjoyed reading your blog! As I was reading a lot of our classmates' blogs the pending question of while technology will always be expanding how will we, as teachers, keep up with the constant change to pass on to our students? The metaphor to doctors is interesting. I wish we had something like the FDA to help us out with implementing all the new technology into our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteEvery generation seems to become savvier with technology but we have to be the ones to guide them to use it in the appropriate way. (Love the Spiderman quote)