The week before Valentine's day...

Okay, before I begin, I apologize to whoever was supposed to comment on my blog. I didn't have internet this weekend!

This week we had a nice Monday off! Wednesday we had Mike in our class, and we talked about the Alan November video that we were supposed to watch. Personally, I found the video entertaining and interesting, but a bit distracting. Mr. November was cooking lobster for the whole video! He was shopping for them, prepping them, cooking them and serving them while he was talking about technology in education. I thought it was a bit weird. Anyway, about the video...

Alan November talks about three "Myths" people believe about technology. I found these the most interesting part of the video, because I agree with Mr. November.

First Myth: Technology is an equalizer of society
Everyone seems to agree with this, but to me, (and Alan November) it is polarizing society. The people with access to technology are using it to their advantage and the people without access are following along behind those with the resources to attain this level of technology. I think this is not only happening in society in general, but also in schools. People keep telling us to begin to use technology in schools, but maybe every student doesn't have access to that technology. Not every kid in our classes are going to have an ipod or even a computer at home that is sufficient for them to view videos and do some of the work required for classes. Some might say "let them use the school computer labs!" Really, those are no different. Everything is blocked on them, they are slow, inefficient and difficult for teachers to book for the students to use!

Second Myth: People can use the web to get diverse ideas from around the world
Alan November says that many people are using the internet to get their version of the truth only, not others' opinions on certain matters. This leads people to believe they are correct in their views, even if they are not. I think using the web in this way requires critical thinking skills. These can be cultured with education! Many school divisions are emphasizing critical thinking in their schools. As teachers, we need to teach the students how to find varying opinions on subject matter and to make an informed decision about what they are viewing. I know I use the internet for this, I actually look for people that disagree with what I think, and use my thinking skills to determine if they have valid points or not. I enjoy seeing others' opinions and views on certain subject matter, and viewing their arguments for or against something. It is a way for me to keep my mind sharp! ;) I know, I'm a nerd!

Third Myth: Technology makes kids smarter
I think this is a ridiculous assumption! Nothing makes kids smarter except learning. Using technology does not automatically mean that a person is learning. Alan November thinks that technology is a distraction for many kids, and I agree (to an extent). He says that there is a rise of plaigarism because students want to get things done fast. I agree with this. Students are very motivated by instant gratification. They want to know an answer now, and don't want to search for it themselves, or to work for it to find the answer. I think technology is moving education backward a bit, especially if it is not being used or taught properly. As I mentioned above, this is also allowing students to neglect their critical thinking skills and rely on machines for answers that they could have figured out on their own.

At the request of some people in the class who have had to read my blog previously, I will stop here. Apparently my blogs are "too intense" (ie. too long).

Have a nice short week!!