Talkin' Bout My Technology Generation

Technology is prevalent in almost every aspect of our lives. I can vaguely remember the days when cell phones, ipods, and GPSs did not exist, however I can always remember having some sort of technology in my life. We all remember the days before the Ipod. I used to spend much of my afternoons listening to cassette tapes in my Barbie tape recorder (with the attached microphone and recording capabilities of course for those spontaneous moments of goofy, musical inspiration). And I can clearly remember the day my mother was given the “dinosaur phone”, her first cell phone. How about when having a map for a road trip was the navigation tool? The innovation and industry of technology will be defining this current generation. Whether this title will shed good light or bad light on our generation can only be determined in the future. However, for now, I am grateful for this laptop that makes writing this reflection so easy and practical, my phone by my side that is keeping me up to date on what is going on in the world while I am writing, and the TV that will play my favorite shows that I intend to watch with my friends after finishing this assignment.

            I think it is safe to say that most Americans, except for the members of an Amish community, utilize some sort of technology on an everyday basis. There are oppositions to the constant use of technology by many, especially the elderly members of society who are having to adapt and be educated on how to function in this technology-shaped society. I can understand their fear of dehumanization since technology is being used more to converse rather than the typical face-to-face way. Never before have we had to wonder if a relationship was legitimate or fake due to how the relationship began and is being maintained. For example, people are meeting over the internet or through texting and forming relationships that are completely fake, where both parties are creating an image for themselves and developing an expectation for the other member of the online/texting relationship. However, newer technology is overcoming this issue. The newest applications for Smartphones, such as Facetime, Voxer, and Skype, are allowing users to contact their friends and have conversations with them face-to-face. Also, Snapchat is a new application that allows users to take pictures of their faces or their environment to accompany their texts to avoid confusion, misconceptions and misunderstandings that often result from text messaging.

            Most of the issues that people have to technology should be redirected to the abusers of technology, not the users. Technology itself can do no harm to a society. The humans who use technology and abuse it should be the ones reprimanded. Most people who have problems with the mass technological surge are not aware of its usefulness. My grandparents are technologically illiterate. They tried to avoid technology at all costs because they found it to be confusing and frustrating when they could not control it or repair it when it malfunctioned. However, once they were taught how to use their technology, they loved it and understood what “all the fuss was about”.

            Personally, I can not imagine a world without technology. Technology is a gift that is allowing the world to discover more about the earth and how to make the world a more efficient and desirable place. Sometimes, technology can be a distraction from real life, however I have learned to use my self-control and remember which world I was created to be a part of. I am always open to try new technology and find it fascinating when it makes everyday monotonous chores turn into effortless tasks. So what do I think about technology? Technology is great.

The Digital Immigrant and the Digital Native

I consider myself to be a digital native.  Even in the house I grew up in as a child, I remember our Windows 98 computer sitting on the desk in the loft upstairs. It was our only computer, so that was one thing me and my siblings fought over. I was taught the computer language almost as quickly as I was learning the English language. My family was very strict when it came to the computer. We were only allowed 30 minutes on the computer a day, growing up, and that was after we had completed all of our chores and homework. Going on the computer was a privilege. As I grew older, and the number of computers multiplied in our household, we were aloud more time on the computer. The number of computers was probably due to the change of our home-schooling curriculum which was becoming more digitalized itself. Not only was I learning the typical subjects of Math, Science, English, and History, but I was improving my technology skills and typing skills. If I wanted to finish my school work early, I had to type faster and be able to navigate my way through the technology maze. So basically, you could say that in addition to having to use technology efficiently to survive and thrive, I have been and always will be a digital native.

                As a theoretical teacher, I could cater to the diverse learning styles of my students by using technology. I could help students who are visual learners by using Smartboards and powerpoints, I could use those who are more active and hands-on learners by letting them play interactive games on computers and so forth.

                I think the problems that are occurring because of technology can be easily avoided. The digital immigrants are becoming less because they are becoming more educated in technology to survive in their career and the new technological world. Those who are obsessed with technology and misuse it will also not last in their career. Like any other addiction, one could say that “it’s not the fork that made the man fat”. One cannot claim that technology is the problem, but the person.

Meaningful Learning with Technology

The purpose of the article Meaningful Learning with Technology is to inform teachers on the usefulness of technology in the classroom. Learning occurs with the persistence and understanding a specific task. Teachers today focus too much on teaching to the test rather than assuring that the students understand the material and can apply it to everyday life. The result? Students know how to take a test, that's it. These tests often do not exemplify the student's mastery in the content, ability to discuss it with their peers, or their ability to use it in their environment. The students conform to the one form of knowledge that is not even useful for their futures. Meaningful learners are “actively engaged by a meaningful task in which they manipulate objects and parameters of the environment they are working in and observing the results of the manipulation.” After this, it is important that students recognize their accomplishments and reflect back on what they learned so that they can come up with new ideas or plan on how they can further their knowledge. They then have goals and are cognitively motivated to fulfill the goal. The teacher can then facilitate their motivation by giving authentic tasks that relate their discoveries to real life. Teachers should also encourage cooperation and stray from individual learning to encourage collaboration. This is not exactly a new idea to me. Last semester I took Educational Psychology and was tested on this very material. However,I find it interesting how technology comes into play with this effective form of learning. So far, technology has been primarily used to summarize what other authors or websites have taught them; to compile them into a paper and turn it in without putting any original thoughts or ideas into the work. Technology should be used as tools to support knowledge construction, exploring knowledge, serve as an authentic context, support conversing with social media, and ultimately be an intellectual partner. It should be a tool, not a teacher. 

 

I like the author's view of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. He stresses that the two go hand in hand. A teacher may know how to teach, but if he or she does not know the content, they can not be successful in the transference and understanding of information. This is true the other way around. Being informed about how many types of knowledge there are blew my mind. It also made me realize the difficulties that teachers may have when instructing. Not only do these students have different learning styles that require various teaching methods, but the teacher themselves may only know the content from textbooks or lectures. They may be stumped with student's questions because their knowledge is limited and they themselves have not practiced the concepts they are trying to teach. This showed me that as a future speech pathologist who will be working in a very hands-on field, I need to be sure that my education involves practicing the information I study in the textbook. 

 

As a future speech pathologist, the most important concept that the author addressed to educators is the importance of recall in the student's learning journey. If the student is unable to recall information when it is needed, what good does the teacher do teaching it? Also, metacognition is an issue that teachers overlook when instructing in the classroom. Students often are clueless when it comes to learning how to learn the material. As a result, the teacher never knows how or what to teach. Teachers should use technology to facilitate learning, not to deliver learning. The teaching should remain the teacher's job and the computers should be used to think with.

Technology Used in the Classroom

 As our society becomes more technology oriented, the face of the American classroom adapts to these changes. When walking into a classroom, we notice the teachers writing on Smartboards, tests being taken on clickers, and teachers taking role on their computers. While some teachers are excited about the technology that is appearing in their rooms, others are more traditional and prefer to teach the old-fashioned way. However, while most of the technology that is used in the classroom are used for tools, some technology is acting as a hindrance to the student's education. Student's are using their own technology as distractions. They use their cell phones to text, go on facebook or twitter, and utilize it in other ways to entertain themselves rather than learning. Therefore, I can understand while some teachers prefer to limit the technology use in the classroom.

Technology is used in almost every aspect of the 21^st century classroom. Teachers use projectors while they teach to amplify the words on the board and use slides to write on so that the students can understand more step-by-step concepts. Smartboards are used extensively in teaching. Teachers can write, show powerpoints, and explain graphs or concepts that may be harder to perceive simply by explaining it. Mimio boards, like Smartboards are also interactive white boards that allows teachers to show websites and teach a lesson. Both SMART boards and mimio boards are great tools for lectures and interactive student participation during the lesson in a classroom. Regular desktop computers or laptops are also seen in every classroom. In fact, some schools are issuing each students their own laptops to take to and from school to save money on textbooks. Some schools are even buying Ipads for their students, especially for those with special needs.

Personally, when I become a teacher, I will use technology that is restricted for educational purposes only. My purpose for using technology is to make learning occur quicker, more efficiently, and more effectively. If the technology I use causes any sort of distraction or hinders learning in any way, I will ban the device from my classroom. If technology ever becomes so advance to where the students no longer think for themselves, I will not use it. I will teach the material without the device and when the children have mastered the various skills, I will allow them to use technology to shortcut the steps they can do in their sleep.