Blog Assignment # 3

In the post by Ms. Hines “It’s not about technology”. Ms. Hines talks strongly about the importance of technology and learning how to use the new tools presented to us.  I agree with Ms. Hines on how teachers should not solely just use text books, or the technology, but how to incorporate both in your teaching. Each student has different ways of learning.  In using both, you can reach out to the different techniques presented to capture the student’s attention in wanting to learn and focus. I like the fact that she stated teachers must be learners. In making this statement she explains what teachers learned over the years have changed dramatically. In being a teacher you have to be self motivated in keeping up with current developments, technology and new research. You should have a general understanding in where the child comes from when entering the classroom.  I believe technology is useless if not  used correctly or the teacher being uneducated on it. The classrooms are given all the right tools to help better educate but are not providing it due to lack of knowledge. You also have your teachers not wanting to learn new ideas or technology. In wanting to learn they could help change teaching and learning. By not using the tools given you are keeping the students from not understanding the use of technology, the world around them, and the future ahead of them. I hope to use all the pointers in Ms. Hines post in my future classroom and ways of teaching my students. To not only better myself as an educator, but better my student’s education and future. http://www.eduratireview.com/2009/04/its-not-about-technology.html

In the post  “It Okay to Be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?” By Karl Fisch, he stresses the importance of the teacher being literate. I understand his view on being a role model to your students. If you’re illiterate you are not setting a good example in helping them become literate. He really states why teachers need to be literate for their own personal benefit as well as their students. When you have students coming in the class room being  more technological advanced than the teacher you should feel embarrassed. His post explain how dependent our world is on technology and moving in a fast pace to more advancements every day. Students need to learn technology and learn it in the correct way. It is involved in our world more than ever today and being literate in the area is very crucial. You’ll be bettering your education in technology as well as your students.

Gary Hayes social media count is a flash app showing the numbers changing every time one of the many social media is used on the web. The rate of the numbers and how fast they change is just incredible. The count shows the world just how fast technology and the use of it changes every minute of the day! This proves how much future educators and educators now should be prepared and gather knowledge on these advancements. You have to be able to keep up with the everyday discoveries, ideas, learnings and tools provided through technology. It is surprising to think that years ago you wouldn’t have expected for society to move as fast as it has. My parents and grandparents and ancestors before them weren’t offered the advancements or technology we are today. In viewing this post I need to research more, become aware of just how far technology has come and the rate it’s moving. We are the future generation. We will be the ones in charge of educating the future and making sure they use it correctly. To teach the upcoming more advanced generation we need to know just the right information and tools to be able to further their education.

Michael Wesch’s video “A vision of student today “caught my eye in such an astonishing way. I related to the video and each message the students showed. I feel the same way everyday about my schooling. The books that cost high prices but are never put to use, pages we write but never read. It shows what the teacher and students feel nothing is being achieved. The video provides the information on just how much technology is used and plays a role bigger than the class room in our lives. The classroom teaching is good and valuable but technology consumes the attention more. What is the purpose of sitting in a class over a 100 students being lectured for 3 hours? When face book, YouTube, and twitter has the attention of the students and not the teacher. It makes the teacher feel useless in what they are teaching,  but we can change that all. I highly recommend that every student and teacher watch this video. It is such an enlightening video with the message it sends to the viewers. Real issues are shown in students, teachers and classrooms.                          

Peer Editing

Peer editing is a valuable trait to have today in critiquing the everyday work of peers. It teaches you the importance of the use of words, editing, and tips to always use. The most important thought to peer editing it to always remain positive.  It helps provide in seeing punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure errors in your papers.  Peer editing helps better your work on a personal level as well as an insight to fixing it ahead of time. Another important tool is to give and take the advice in a way that it’s not an attack on you personally. The advice is to help you become better in writing. I liked reading about peer editing in the fact that they demonstrated a lot of good tips and learning how to become a good editor.