Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I like the way this video was done, it’s very simplistic but full of facts and student participation. This classroom looks very familiar to some I have been in throughout college. I think the points that are made in this video are pretty accurate for most colleges of reasonable size. In my experiences very few teachers know my name but I knew before I ever went into the class it would be that way. The smaller classes where teachers know names are great but even in a large classroom setting I have had no problem getting help, even if the teacher didn’t know who I was.
I really like the emphasis that is put on what students spend their time doing and saying that we are multi-taskers. If it wasn’t for multi-tasking students would never “have a life” outside of school and maybe work. I personally work two jobs and go to school, but I still listen to a lot of music and keep up with TV shows occasionally. This all being said, I spend a lot of time online, which is where much of information comes from on a daily basis.
It’s Not About the Technology
In this post many good points are made. No matter what we do we cannot force the learning process. Special attention is sometimes needed and that’s fine. My favorite point made in this post is that the teacher has to be willing to learn how to use the technology themselves or the money is being wasted. I feel that this is very important. Many people agree that technology is necessary in the classroom and I don’t completely disagree with this, but the teachers must be trained or the money that is being spent on it is useless.
Many teachers who have a set way do not want to change to a more technological classroom and if they aren’t willing to change their methods the money should not be wasted. Students can still learn from a traditional classroom. While technology is very important some subjects can be taught very accurately without technological help- it requires more effort from the teacher and more attention from the students but I believe that it is still possible, at least for now.
Is It OK To Be Technologically Illiterate?
Some very good points are brought up in this post- the jobs that we are training our kids for may not exist yet. The normal life for them growing up will not be the same as what ours were. When our parents were children television was a new thing, kids went outside and played, and to get in contact with someone you went to their house. We are living in a world where every child has their own television with hundreds of channels, we sit in our rooms and play video games more than riding bikes and the best friend is only a text away. Classrooms are moving forward too- we have gone from chalkboards and overhead projectors to white boards and PowerPoint to smartboards..
Whether we agree or disagree with the way technology is changing, it is still taking over. Textbooks will soon be replaced by books on CDs. The way we teach must move forward to catch up and keep moving forward to get ahead. Teachers don’t need to be afraid to start learning with technology; it seems that many people are afraid to press a button because they are unsure. If we are afraid to try we are going to fail ourselves and our children.
Social Media Count
I enjoy seeing counts like this because they put into perspectives things we already know but don’t grasp. I think they are very interesting as well as astounding. I particularly like to look at the world clock and the birth and death rates. Our world is changing and it’s changing FAST.
As far as what this means for me as a teacher I feel that it means that I will be working at my computer desk much of the time. Facebook has become a way of communication for me and some of my teachers I have now. It’s amazing how well it works. In the years I will be teaching there will be much less paper and red ink and more technologically based testing and communication.
Hi Regina,
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you are picking up on the artistic appeal of these videos. When you start producing your own projects, consider the techniques you have witnessed and incorporate them!
"While technology is very important some subjects can be taught very accurately without technological help- it requires more effort from the teacher and more attention from the students but I believe that it is still possible, at least for now."
??? More effort than what? I wonder what is easier, watching them produce something and assessing it, or creating study guides, making a test, listening to students complain, watching some succeed and some fail with no apparent reason. I realize that was a pretty loaded assumption, but I do want you to think about the effort in relation to the result.
Good work,
Anthony
"Classrooms are moving forward too- we have gone from chalkboards and overhead projectors to white boards and PowerPoint to smartboards.. "
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have to say here, in our weeks in this class so far we are learning about technology in the classroom, and it would seem that they want us to think that everything is still in the olden days, I'm glad that some of us can see that in many ways the classrooms are moving forward as well!
To Anthony:
ReplyDeleteI think the way I typed that may have thrown off the meaning. My point was that teaching in a traditional way takes more effort from the teacher and requires the students to pay more attention to what is said, BUT it is still very possible to do (for most subjects). For example- in a history class teaching in a traditional way would be completely possible. I understand that this may not be as easy for every subjects but for some I think it is perfectly reasonable. For some teachers who are older and don't want to change their ways I still think that they can accurately teach their children.