Technological School Advancements
Technological advancements are wanted and also needed in the school environment. With advancements, school will not be made easier, but more efficient. There have been many technological additions to schools within the last 20 years. Many, almost all school’s have computers. This was a big addition to schools being that it helps both students and teachers in many ways. Students know have the ability to acess the WIDE WORLD WEB when doing homework or projects. The computer is the entire library at your fingertips, literally. Computers have also helped teachers in having easier, more efficient grading system. Were as before teacher’s had to use pencil and paper, add and subtract, now computers do all of that for you.
We as students need to have the ability to navigate through the non- stop information flow that today connects the global community. To keep us as students in an age of books and library’s when there is such great new technology is only hurting us. For students to thrive in a world that is enabled by informational technology, schools need curriculum that gives students the skills to make sense of and use the information that engulfs them. We need to be able to learn new technological skills as quickly as technology creates new challenges. This knowledge will only help and prepare our generation for a world-to-come that will be thriving of technology. That world is coming very soon, so we need to be prepared. I believe that technology should be as important as math and science are in schools. Now it is looked at as only a secondary class. I know of many students that already use computers and surf the web, but there is much more to educational technology than desktop computers.
Teachers and students need access to laptops and pocket pc’s, digital cameras and microscopes, web-based video equipment, graphing calculators, and even weather tracking devices. Schools need to become responsible and savvy users and purveyors of technological information. Schools need to learn how to collaborate successfully across miles and cultures. Making the tools of technology available in schools is important, but that’s just the first step. Fully preparing and supporting educators in the instructional use of technology is critical. Teachers (except for Mrs. Stangerlin) must know how to do more with technology than simply automate practices and processes. They need to learn to use technology to transform the nature of teaching and learning. Technology knows no boundaries, so let’s exploited it.
There have been many other drastic (big) changes when we look back in history, so why is this one looked at as different? By not accepting change, schools are depriving themselves in participation in the evolution of the future. The technological evolution will come to pass, whether we accept it or not. Most schools have a computer lab and a computer in every class room. Technology in schools is improving but at a slow pace. Hopefully in years to come it will get better. With the increasing need for technology, schools will soon have no choice but to better themselves. Teachers want it, students need it, now it is the schools turn to make technology more readily available.
You make many excellent points, and I find this one provocative. Let’s revisit it:
“For students to thrive in a world that is enabled by informational technology, schools need curriculum that gives students the skills to make sense of and use the information that engulfs them.”
If you could design one new unit that would do what you mention both above and in your blog, what would that unit look like? What would it need to do to help you make sense of and use the information [and technology]?
First, Thankyou for the constructive critisium Mrs Stangherlin(lol, only helps to make my writing better). The unit that I would create would most likely look much like the computer’s of today. Probobly the devise would be able to connect to things such as televisions, other computers,projectors, ect. I am not totaly sure of the device’s physical attributes, but I do have a full understanding of it’s abilities. The device would have to be able to not only perform the tasks that I stated in my blog, but also be able to be universally usable. This would have to be the case in order for ALL schools to become more technology based. Chalk, blackboards and textbooks are still essential components for educating students today, but there is no question that in order to adequately prepare us as students for life beyond the classroom that we,as a entire school enviorment, must incorporate a greater level of technology into our schools.
Altough i agree that the technology wave is upon us, i fear you have overlooked the power and responsibility we are giving our students if we allow them the use of all these electronic devices at once. Students, in my opinion, must earn these technologies as a priviledge. If handed to them without any requirement, i fear students would take advantage of these technologies and use them far from their primary purpose. In addition, these technologies would not only cost the school a large amout of money, but a massive amount of time as well. Administrators and school employees would need to regulate the use of these devices somehow. For example, if every student were to be given a laptop, it would require a network that these students would have to sign into every day ofr security and safety purposes. In this sense, the blocks on our school’s computers would have to be implemented on all of the active laptops. I do agree with your view that technological advancement would be extremely helpful if used correctly. However, it may help to look at the other end of the spectrum in order to make your idea successful.
Altough i agree that the technology wave is upon us, i fear you have overlooked the power and responsibility we are giving our students if we allow them the use of all these electronic devices at once. Students, in my opinion, must earn these technologies as a priviledge. If handed to them without any requirement, i fear students would take advantage of these technologies and use them far from their primary purpose. In addition, these technologies would not only cost the school a large amout of money, but a massive amount of time as well. Administrators and school employees would need to regulate the use of these devices somehow. For example, if every student were to be given a laptop, it would require a network that these students would have to sign into every day ofr security and safety purposes. In this sense, the blocks on our school’s computers would have to be implemented on all of the active laptops. I do agree with your view that technological advancement would be extremely helpful if used correctly. However, it may help to look at the other end of the spectrum <http://www.electronic-school.com/2000/09/0900sbot.html> in order to make your idea successful.
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