Sunday, January 09, 2005
Here! Here! I'm with Ya All The Way
We have to figure out a way (as teachers) to stay ahead of the technological wave. It seems like everyday there are articles about technology and teachers NOT seeing eye to eye. CNN for students has an article on how "Schools lag behind much of society in using technology, but students are seeing benefits and clamoring for more access to computers, the government says."
"Education is the only business still debating the usefulness of technology," Paige said in the National Education Technology Plan, scheduled for release Friday. "Schools remain unchanged for the most part despite numerous reforms and increased investments in computers."
Nine in 10 children between age 5 and 17 use computers, and even higher numbers of online teenagers use the Internet for school-related work, according to the report sent to Congress. The largest group of new users of the Internet from 2000 to 2002 were kids age 2 to 5.
Yet students of almost any age are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy, according to the report, which is based on comments from thousands of students, teachers, administrators and education groups. Students say they see this knowledge gap daily.
"I think that teachers should be required to go to a technology course," the report quotes one student as saying. Said a second student: "I think that students should have laptops to do everything in class. ... We should not have to carry heavy books all day long."
The New York Times also reveals yet another story on What's on TV? A View of Loved Ones From Afar BY JOSEPH BERGER which is about using videoconferencing to keep in touch. I'm a firm believer that we have to use as many ways that are available to reach our young people. They know where our strengths and weaknesses lie in the area of multimedia options.
"Education is the only business still debating the usefulness of technology," Paige said in the National Education Technology Plan, scheduled for release Friday. "Schools remain unchanged for the most part despite numerous reforms and increased investments in computers."
Nine in 10 children between age 5 and 17 use computers, and even higher numbers of online teenagers use the Internet for school-related work, according to the report sent to Congress. The largest group of new users of the Internet from 2000 to 2002 were kids age 2 to 5.
Yet students of almost any age are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy, according to the report, which is based on comments from thousands of students, teachers, administrators and education groups. Students say they see this knowledge gap daily.
"I think that teachers should be required to go to a technology course," the report quotes one student as saying. Said a second student: "I think that students should have laptops to do everything in class. ... We should not have to carry heavy books all day long."
The New York Times also reveals yet another story on What's on TV? A View of Loved Ones From Afar BY JOSEPH BERGER which is about using videoconferencing to keep in touch. I'm a firm believer that we have to use as many ways that are available to reach our young people. They know where our strengths and weaknesses lie in the area of multimedia options.
# posted by Mrs.Bowllan @ 12:50 AM 
Comments:
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Teaching in the 21st century will be very slow to arrive. It will take at least another generation of teachers before all the possible changes will arrive.
The problem is INERTIA. We had math teachers at our school who would prepare all the sheets for the next year in the previous summer. Where is the flexibility? Where is the intereaction? Where is the computer technology? The blackboard is the icon of the classroom.
What have I done to break away from this monotony?
I used a video projector above my blackboard to present my lesson examples, and only used the blackboard for the finer enhancements. All my quizzes, tests, practice sheets and much of my homework was computer generated. My students could generate as many practice sheets as they needed. I had more time to actually teach my students, and devoted less of my time to the preparation drudgery.
And how did I do all this? It is all on the internet!
Go to www.TheMathWebSite.com and see for yourself.
Move into the 21st century!
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The problem is INERTIA. We had math teachers at our school who would prepare all the sheets for the next year in the previous summer. Where is the flexibility? Where is the intereaction? Where is the computer technology? The blackboard is the icon of the classroom.
What have I done to break away from this monotony?
I used a video projector above my blackboard to present my lesson examples, and only used the blackboard for the finer enhancements. All my quizzes, tests, practice sheets and much of my homework was computer generated. My students could generate as many practice sheets as they needed. I had more time to actually teach my students, and devoted less of my time to the preparation drudgery.
And how did I do all this? It is all on the internet!
Go to www.TheMathWebSite.com and see for yourself.
Move into the 21st century!
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