Blog Post # 10

1. I'm a PAPERMATE. I'm a TICONDEROGA.

John T. Spencer posted a picture of his cartoon in his blog "Adventures in Pencil Integration." After looking at the cartoon and trying to figure out what it means, I think I've come to a conclusion. It's a comparison of papermate, which is a type of pencil, to a ticonderoga, which is a computer. Pencils are cheaper, but they also break all the time. A ticonderoga may be the most expensive purchase a student will ever make, but it is more beneficial to the student to use. This cartoon is a representation of how important it is for technology to be used in education.

2. Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?
In this post, Mr. Spencer was called into the principal's office to discuss his methods of teaching. The principal accused him of playing games with students instead of teaching. Mr. Spencer said that he had his students drawing pictures, reading various scenarios, and describing their solutions in text. It was interactive and his students were engaged in the activity. The principal told him that he needed to focus on rote memorization skills so that the students can pass the rote memorization test.

That seems about right. Today's education system revolves around state testing. All teachers are expected to teach their students are good memorization skills. Students just need to know what's on the state tests. It really is sad. Maybe that's what is wrong with kids today. Maybe that is why teen pregnancy is high and why the high school dropout percentage is high. We are teaching students the bare minimum and still expect them to become successful adults.

Capturing Reality

John T. Spencer explains in his blog post "Capturing Reality," why he never takes pictures. He took a picture one day of his wife and kids in front of a water fall. Before he snapped the picture, his daughter asked him why was he taking a picture. His response was so that he could capture the moment and keep it forever. She asked him why he had to capture it, couldn't the moment run free?

In John Spencer's post, he explains that the picture wasn't of his wife and kids, but it was a picture of him. He was detached, looking through a lens, hiding behind a cloud of smoke. Since then, he doesn't take pictures. He states that he doesn't want to miss a minute of life. Technology makes it easy to capture reality in ways that we miss it. That means that we become recorders instead of participants. We don't use our memories anymore because we feel that they aren't as accurate. We allow medium to get in the way instead of being present in that very moment and living life. It's not about "what is best?", it's about "what is best for me in this current context?"

I completely agree with Mr. Spencer on this matter. We really have become the recorders in life instead of living in that moment. We have become so wrapped up in what technology can do, that I think that we have lost our way. We spend so much time editing and enhancing our photos and videos, that we completely forget about what it was that we wanted to capture. People aren't living life and making memories anymore. Instead, we snap pictures and record videos, hiding behind technology. We really have become detached from reality.

3. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Dr. Scott McLeod used sarcasm to tell parents, teachers, administrators, and board members what not to teach their kids. He said not to teach kids about social networking, blogs, email, and the internet. He said not to teach them about writing in the web or how to read RSS. Don't allow your kids to have cell phones or text. Dr. McLeod said these thinks are evil. They don't need to hyperlink, make videos, audio, or Flash. He says that there are bad things out there such as sexting and cyberbullying. Do not allow them to create, share, think, or learn. Don't do any of it. Then Dr. McLeod states that he will be doing all of it with his students. He then makes a very smart comment and says that he can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two.

I love Dr. Scott McLeod's sarcastic tone in his blog post. He uses it to make a point about how important technology is in education. He also explains how technology can be dangerous and the negatives of students using technology. We can eliminate those problems though if we teach our students how to properly and professionally use technology. Teachers should not allow the fear of technology to discourage them from using it in their teachings. Technology is extremely important in today's education system and also in the world. If teachers choose not to acknowledge it or use it in their teachings, then students will fall behind not only in education but in society also. The world is advancing everyday, and we need to be sure that the next generation will be knowledgeable of it and ready for it.