Response to Text Chapter One

My first impression of the book was minimal. The title was very basic. However, as I started reading the prefix and especially the first chapter, I realized this book may actually be a little interesting. It not only talked about technology but it discussed learning styles. Many educational books do not discuss what it takes to learn. This book identified 5 different characteristics of learning. I agree 100% with the author’s perception of learning. What does it mean to have meaningful learning? The textbook says that it is learning that is intentional, active, constructive, authentic and cooperative. These characteristics are closely connected yet mean totally different things. To effectively learn something, we must exhibit a thirst for the knowledge we seek to obtain. This ques our brain that something important will soon be processed. We should ponder on those thoughts and how they connect to everyday life. Also, the textbook claims that technology also fosters thinking. It allows students to be anological, expressive, experiential, and able to solve problems . Students are able to compare and contrast ideas with others. This requires them to assess what they already know. I have seen technology used as a teaching and learning tool. Teachers use overhead projectors, televisions, computers, smartboards to exhibit educational material to students. All of which uses bright screens. Thusly, these materials cater to visual learners. However, sometimes teachers use cds to allow students to listen to sounds. Students use computers for learning. Many programs are being made to help students strengthen edudcational skills. The internet allows online-tutoring in real time if the student is not with a teacher or parent who can help them with a skill in which they struggle. This book states that overall students learn with technology, not from it. The computer is nothing more than a machine that a human dictates. Some of the major advantages of technology requires students to decide what to include and exclude in explanations of shared topics. The students learn how to construct their speech in a manner than can be strong or timid, informational or brief, etc. David Johanssen, the author of the textbook we use in class, does a wonderful job approaching the topic of technology in the classroom from a different perspective. I have learned a lot in the first chapter. This is rare. This chapter did use a few words that were unfamiliar in my vocabulary. Epiphenomenon is like an additional phenomenon, symptom or complication. Nascent is the beginning of development. Neither term is everyday language for my life. The ‘Things to Think about’ question in the back of the chapter that I will answer is Question #12: Can you calculate the exact square root of 2570 without a calculator> Does the calculator make you smarter? Is the calculator intelligent? I am sure someone on earth knows numbers well enough to find the square root of 2570 without a calculator. I believe this because some people are prodigies, gifted, etc. Thecalculator does not make someone smarter. If anything, it can make the brain lazier by automatically signaling a person to use the calculator if the problem is not easily computed within the brain . The calculator is only as smart as the person who uses it. If someone enters the wrong number or presses the wrong key, the answer to the problem is wrong. The calculator always gets the problem right that is entered into it. However, the calculator is a machine. It does not have a mind of its own. Its purpose is to solve equations.

Frontline Video: Growing Up Online

Students are living their lives online. They spend numerous hours shaping what they want their lives to be. For instance, social networking has touched 160 million people’s lives to the point that they have established profile pages (MySpace and Facebook). Their persona can be exaggerated. They may try on many faces and indentities that may not be reality. Sometimes young people are socially bullied online. Cyberbullying has caused children to commit homicide and suicide. Another negative is the possibility of child predators. There are many shows, like Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator, that have shown adults that have become obsessed with underage young people due to the perception they exhibit online. As you can see, the pros and cons are placed on a large spectrum. The fascination with the internet is not a fad. It’s a growing community that teachers and parents must adjust to.

While watching the Frontline documentary, a quote that caught my attention that relates to EME4401 is “Walking into a classroom that doesn’t have media is like walking into a desert.” The classroom setting is quickly changing. Smartboards, LCD projectors, and podcasts are becoming more and more popular. Some students talked about cheating the system through sparknotes and other supplemental material. Plaigarism is such a largeproblem that a computer program called, ‘Turnitin’ checks for students who may commit the crime. Whats happening now is that teachers must adjust the classroom to the students needs. We cant ignore the fact that technology is becoming majority of our student’s lives.

My View of Educational Technology

Educational Technology is becoming more and more necessary in the classroom today. Teachers are able to share videos, word documents, play CDs, and search the internet. One cool thing teachers can do is form pen/internet pals on the internet. Teacher and students can share techniques with children across the world. Of course, there are limitations in the use of technology in the classroom. Because the internet is vast, it requires the teacher to pay very close attention to the actions of students while using the internet. The computer itself is considered an expensive devise in the classroom. There are many other advantages and disadvantages educational technology can provide.