ISchool an Intimidating Concept

We were introduced to a completely new concept in technology class this week. The iSchool is a concept that literally blows my mind. When shown how this could work in classroom the only thing I could think of  was how am I going to ever educate my students in this manner. If you know anything about me, technology is not my forte. I can attempt to use it and pretend I know what I am doing but really I am a like a frightened puppy who is far from home. I have no clue how to use this kind of technology effectively. So to answer the question is an ischool good way to fix a broken school system is a very tricky question. I think it could have many good advantages but when I think of the idea that every teacher needs to know the concept of ischool and teach it to their students is a little less simple. How are all teacher’s young and old going to be able to incorporate this type of teaching in every lesson. I am much younger than many teachers of today and I do not grasp this kind of technology. I worry that it will be hindering to the next generation to only use technology for everything in the classroom. What happen to simple creativity. I do not want my adorable kindergarteners minds losing their sense of childlike creativity with this kind of technology. I never thought we were creating robots in America but instead hopefully adding a new generation that is unique with individuality. Do not get me wrong I am not trying to totally hate on this idea, I think it could have a lot of potential. My idea would be to keep some things in the classroom that we have always done and get rid of others and then it can be a process not a cut and dry situation. This seems to be good middle so we do not get ahead of ourselves in our attempt to help America’s education. 

A New Way to Teach Today's Society

An interesting part of technology class this week was when we video chatted with Beth Day, a online teacher. She had some profound points on how online school can be a beneficial way to teach a variety of children. I was very surprised how many different aspects of education these teachers have accessibility to even online.  I was also amazed by the amount of help each teacher has for their students and the support group that is invested in every child. It was wonderful to see that this lady had just as much desire to invest in her student’s lives as shown in a regular classroom. I really enjoyed her creative twist on the PowerPoint as she showed me how she outlined each section she was covering. It helped me be able to see her main themes she wanted us to remember. It also was a great visual of how she does her lectures for online students.  I walked away realizing that I had been so naive about the good that online education can have for poor people, people with disabilities, and students that just have different learning styles than the average American. It was a joy to see Beth’s desire to help these students in need and be in a worthy cause. I hope in my own teaching that my greatest goal will benefit my students for a greater good. 

Can Teachers Educate The Next Generation

After reading the article Defying the Default Cultures and Creating a Culture of Possibility I had many responses to the idea that technology will improve achievement. As the article pointed out “Technology is opening new doors for students and teachers alike and transforming the world outside the school, but classrooms today are still teacher-centered, low level fact information-based, and low tech delivered to students who respond to assignments with equally low tech tools”. I have never been able to explain our education of today in such a concise way. In today’s world technology can make a world of difference of how we learn in the classroom. We ironically use technology everywhere in our world outside of class. However, for some reason education is not up to date in the reform to change education as a whole. I love how Roberson points out “that we are all on an assembly line with a conveyor belt that starts at same spot that it ends”. Technology is the only thing that will help us with the outside environment of the 21^st century.  There will be changes in the curriculum and instructions to connect to the rest of the world like never before. Hopefully technology will develop enough the skills and behaviors students need to be successful in a globalized, digitized, fast paced, ever changing real world environment like the article of the SCANS explained. Many times through this article it explains how we need to “educate the students for the world that exists now outside the school walls”. I am a firm believe that our era is not built to work with the latest technology. We are not being taught to use the digital tools that should be at our fingertips. So how this day can teachers be doing a better job to educate the students? I think it is simply stepping up as Roberson puts it, Will schools change, evolve, and become learning environments that stimulate and excite students to what can be to what is possible?” The choice is with the next generation of educators learning how to improve student achievement through technology.