Week 2 Blog : Due January 24, 2010

Social Media Counts

Gary Hayes' Social Media Counts are UNBELIEVABLE! The increase in the numbers is unreal. It's kind of hard to explain it all though because it seems so unbelievable; however, in our society, I believe it. I guess the unbelievable part about the entire thing is not that the numbers are actually increasing so rapidly, but that our society is actually to this point in technology. I am only 20 years old, and ,even in my lifetime, technology has made so many advancements. When I was in elementary school we did not own a computer. My family got our first computer when I was in 6th grade. I can't imagine life without one now! I don't know how my older brother survived high school with a type writer and word processor. I use the internet so often for research. I have probably completely forgotten how to use the reference center at the public library. When I was a young child, our librarian at school would always show us how to look up books in the public libraries using the index card reference system. Now, librarians are teaching students how to use the internet. It's crazy how quickly things have progressed!

A Vision of Students Today

This video does a very good job of representing the average student life at most colleges and universities today. This is my first semester at the University of South Alabama. I began my college career at Auburn University which is located in a very small town in eastern Alabama. Although the town is extremely small, the university is very popular. My first year of college consisted of many core curriculum classes. In these classes, there would be 300-450 students. This was very intimidating when coming from a high school classroom of maybe 25 students. While sitting in these crowded classrooms, I noticed that many people around me were checking emails or Facebook while the professor was lecturing. Are the large classes really beneficial? Teachers can't possibly monitor that many students at a time. While college students should be mature enough to come to class and learn, it takes a lot of self discipline to do so when alternatives are so easily accessible.
I suppose there are a few things I could add to this assessment about student life today. The main thing I've noticed since entering college is that the focus of lectures and class discussions is often only on information that will be on the test. Dr. Strange often refers to this method of teaching and learning as the "burp-back method." I agree completely. Teachers are assessed by the number of students that do well in their class. In order to improve their statistics, teachers focus on giving students good grades. Everyone knows a teacher can not simply give students good grades without proof that they earned them. This is where the burp-back method comes into play. If a teacher stands in front of a class and says, "This next sentence will be a question on the next test," how many students do you think will listen? The answer is all or most. The term test question triggers the ears of those students that are not listening intently to the professor. This allows them to get the information that will be on the test, but they do not benefit from anything else said in the classroom. This has been the main thing I've noticed about school these days.

It's Not About the Technology

I believe Ms. Hines makes some very good points. I also have to disagree with some of the points she made as well. I love the inspiration she gives for teachers to continue learning. This should not be a 21st century idea. No one knows everything. This means everyone has something to learn (teachers included). While today's children are often teaching teachers about technology, yesterday's children had their own valuable lessons to teach. There is so much you can learn from a child.
Ms. Hines also says that she doesn't think it's all about the technology. I agree that it's not ALL about it, but technology, whether we like it or not, is a big part of our society. While education should not revolve around technology, teachers should know how to benefit from the technology that's offered to them. Ms. Hines makes a very good point about wasting money on technology in the classroom that's never being used. Teachers should be learners. She says so herself. In my opinion, teachers should take the initiative to learn how to use this technology to benefit their students. While the technology cannot make you a good teacher, it can improve some methods of teaching. I believe the technology helps to bridge the gap between students and teachers. I know I have seen quite a few of my teachers and professors on Facebook. This allows a more personal relationship. While some may say that a personal relationship with your teacher is not beneficial, I don't think it hurts. It is very helpful to see your professor in another setting other than the classroom. I'm not saying that professors should invite their students to dinner or anything, but to see them involved with something you are, such as Facebook or Twitter, opens up a new relationship.

Is It OK to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

I've been asking myself this question for some time now. I would not call myself technologically literate. I can make my way around a computer and the Internet, but there is so much out there that I can't do. Is this acceptable since I am going to school to be a teacher? I love the comparison made between technology today and reading 3o years ago. It was never acceptable to not know how to read, ESPECIALLY if you were a teacher! In this day and age, technology is easily compared to reading in its value in education.
I want to teach the 2nd grade or below when I begin my teaching career, and I really don't know that much about technology yet. Imagine a similar scenario 30 years ago. I want to be a 2nd grade teacher, but I just can't read that well. Would this be accepted? NO! As a younger elementary school teacher, there should be very little that the students know and you don't. When I was in high school, there were always those kids who liked to question the teacher. They had, perhaps, researched on the subject more or just happened to know more details. This very rarely happens in lower elementary grades. (At least to my knowledge.) Teachers need to keep up with the times. Technology is today's world, and we need to join it!