Technology will always be changing, and as teachers we will need to adapt to this change. Within middle school and high school almost every classroom had a ceiling projector within the classroom, but some teachers still chose the wheel chart projector. Teachers are preparing students for the future, then we need to question why are we using technology from the past. Within every education class you will be taught to adapt, and this is no different when it comes to technology, teachers must adapt. I was recently at the STF conference and the idea of online school was a large topic. How do we keep children in school rather than online, especially in high school? One way I believe will help with that problem is integrating more hands on technology in the classroom. It is fun to learn through online videos and games, many of which can be done at home, and it is even better when you get to create something practical with the technology in person, for example a robot.
To think how much YouTube has changed since Wesch’s video. There is no longer need to bookmark separate websites to show what is popular, YouTube does it all. The YouTube algorithm gives viewers videos that connected to their previously watched videos to give new suggestions. As the increase of vloggers comes into YouTube, I would like to see what age group is must often represented in the videos and who is most often watching those videos. There are things, like YouTube kids, that try to control what kids are watching but these are not perfect. There is no way to control what your students watch on their free time but try to guide them into healthy choices. An important part of what we teach is to train students to be critical of what they are watching, so that they can discern what is real and what is simply entertainment.
As Wesch explains the internet is all connected, posting a video on one website can then be shared all over multiple different platforms. Students can find a video on YouTube and then do a deep dive in to that person’s social life through their videos, Instagram, Twitter and snapchat. It is later explained that YouTube has become a community, even YouTube now have names for their followers to make it feel more personal, for example Molly Burke calls her followers the killer bees. Though this is great and you are able to meet people who have similar interests as you, it is still a connection made through a screen. Making a community within your classroom, where students are able to make connections with one and other and with their teacher creates that critical human contact.
Students are becoming more private from parents but have much more information shared with the public. Within the class lecture, Katia explained that children are no longer using the phone or internet with their parent’s supervision. Everything that once was watched by parents including phone calls and computer usage can be shared with others such as screen recording personal phone calls.
Though it is hard, there needs to be a healthy balance between using technology and working with others.
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Sarah, I like the direction you took in regards to balancing technology. I, too, wrote about how mediation has disappeared and how the younger generation is growing up in a much different way, with access to just about anything. Balance within technology is important as too much of it can impact relationships, social skills, and even physical health and wellness. Moving forward, I hope that we can shift back to a more balanced approach to technology use, especially within the classroom.
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Hi Sarah,
I really liked how you mentioned balance in relation to technology. Although we are unable to separate our online and offline lives, having a healthy balance of what we share and what we keep private is a key thing to learn when trying to safely and effectively use technology. As Kaitlin said above, overusing technology can also be damaging – whether that be impacting your in-person relationships, personable skills, and mental health. Finding this balance will be difficult, but I think it is something important to constantly work towards.
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