Blog Post # 1

About a year ago, I felt that technology was going to be detrimental to the classroom and take away so much authenticity. I remember thinking, before we know it there will be virtual teacher holograms teaching the class so they wont need teachers! Or they will have all students just glued to computers “learning” all day via a computer! I am happy to say those views have changed and I have been lucky to see with my own eyes technology in several classrooms. Over the last year I have begun to see all the wonderful benefits technology has in the classroom. The more classrooms I see and work with, I have found that technology gets kids excited to learn, helps them improve in certain subject areas in a different kind of way then just a teacher alone, promotes creativity, and it can save time in a classroom, which is so valuable when it comes to the classroom. I have seen a teacher so in tune with his technology in the class, it was incredible to watch how his class operated so smoothly with the integrated technology that fit so naturally in the classroom, it was Mr. Allan when he was teaching at Wade King Elementary. The students could make their own videos in kindergarten about their own versions of the three little pigs or the gingerbread man! He was connected with the families online as well so they could keep track of what was happening in the class. To me technology is defined as a tool in order to enhance and improve something that you could probably do without it but having it can make such a difference and help make everyday more practical.

That is not to say that technology is ALWAYS a good thing and I have seen it used the wrong way several times. I was helping out in a before school program last year down at Whatcom Middle School for my service learning project. There were about 20 students or so who would show up and well over half of them would only want to play this computer game that had to do with building a city, I believe it was called World of War craft.  There was a man in charge who told me to set the timer and rotate the kids in and out of the 5 computers that were in the class. It was his program, so it was his rules, but I eagerly tried to encourage the kids to play a card game with me, or let me help them with homework, or just even talk to me so I could learn more about them. I was bale to connect with about 4 of the kids but the rest barely took their eyes off the computer screen. This really irritated me. I felt as if the kids were missing so much valuable time and opportunity to connect with each other and me.  I think this kind of technology takes away from education. All in all I believe technology is beneficial to schools. The technology that should be used in the classroom should ONLY and ALWAYS benefit the learning that happens in the classroom.