After watching the video "Olivia's Story", I realized that in the future when I become a teacher I might have students just like Olivia. In the video Olivia explained how she does not always have access to a computer, yet she has really great computer skills. Having access to a computer is so important to her that she goes out of her way to use one, such as going to an apple store. She is also very creative and loves to help people make websites online. I also noticed that some teachers in the video assume that students like Olivia do not know how to use a computer because of the lack of access to one, but surprisingly they know how to use a computer exceptionally well.
As a future teacher, it is important to understand the relationship that students have with technology.Olivia has a strong bond with technology. Her life revolves around using a computer or her cell phone because she likes to keep in contact with her friends and be able to express her creativity. I have come to realize that there are going to be many students in my classroom who have similar interests to Olivia. These students are going to be interested in learning new things having to do with computers, cell phones, ipods etc. Integrating technology in a classroom can be a great way to help my students become involved and excited about learning.
Just like Olivia, the young people in the video "Learning to Change, Changing to learn" also use many forms of technology in their every day lives. It was very interesting to learn about how these people use computers to create music, twitter to keep updated with current events, and also websites to learn a new language. They explained how much of a role technology played in their lives such as always having a cell phone in their hand and texting more than talking. It is very visible in the video that there are many ways to learn new things and express creativity through using various forms of technology. Students can use the skills they learn from technology to do better in school such as Olivia did. She was able to rank in the top three of her school.
The students in the videos reminded me of myself because technology also plays an important role in my life.
The three most influential communications technologies in my life are my iPhone, my computer, and social networks. Throughout my day I am constantly using one of these things. I believe that this will benefit me as a future teacher because I have many skills that I will be able to use in my classroom and also to teach to my students. These technologies have benefited the ways in which I learn new information because I am not only always updated on current events, but also I am able to use my iPhone or computer to do research or look up something that I am unfamiliar with.
The students in both videos used their forms of technologies for more creative things such as creating music and websites. I, on the other hand, use technology mainly for learning purposes such as doing research. However, like many of the students, I do also use my phone to stay in contact with my friends. My phone is always glued to me just like one of the students mentioned.
As much as technology helps me learn and keep me updated, there is a downside to it in my opinion. I believe that I personally rely on my phone and computer for everything. I feel like I need to always have access to them. There needs to be a balance when it comes to technology. The main thing to focus on is to make sure it is being used for positive reasons.
I think we will definitely be a lucky group of teachers. We were introduced quite young and so we now have plenty of skills that will benefit us as teachers. I too use and love computers mainly for the ease of research and looking things up. I wrote in my blog post about how I connected with the one person in the second video who said he likes computers and video games because he can restart his projects, and he can’t do that in real life. Editing papers and other projects on the computer are so much easier than it would be if I were writing it on paper. We will have a lot to teach our students, since we know how to use our distractions to our advantage. We will be able to teach our students how to take advantage of their technological skills and possibilities, especially when they find themselves stressed out or confused by our assignments. Also, if they’re encouraged to use technology for their work, our students may also be able to contact teachers for questions, much like how we use it to contact our professors. Of course, we’d have to set extreme boundaries for emailing answering students’ questions before they get to school with their work incomplete will mean they can finish their work. They also don’t have to be embarrassed about asking questions in class, if they can get them answered in private.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I agree with you when you say that integrating technology in the classroom can be a great way to help students become involved and excited about content, as we have seen with Olivia. Additionally, we know how this is possible first hand due to the fact that we received iPads last semester to aid us with our learning of advanced Italian grammar. As you know, through the use of the iPads we were able to record videos of ourselves learning new things about the language structure as well as record ourselves speaking the language. Applications on the iPads were also beneficial because we were able to submit assignments quickly and easily through Dropbox, take notes and highlight important chapter content on Notarize, and even use different applications to hear different phonemes in the Italian language. I hope you will agree when I say that the use of the iPads was very beneficial to the learning process and they helped up become interested in a challenging subject. With this being said, I believe that through our own experiences with technology in the class room we will be better equipped to integrate various devices, social media, and other forms of communication medium to allow students to express themselves creatively, use critical thinking, and enjoy themselves while learning Italian.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your fear that relying too much on technology is a bad thing. I also live with my cell phone attached to my hand and it frightens me the reaction I have if I cannot find it immediately.
ReplyDeleteLike I said on Girard's post - I love being able to access most information at my fingertips but at the same time, I believe that there are modes of research being lost - for example researching in a library. While that takes time that was - for a long time - the only way in which to research information.
Melissa, welcome to the class! Glad to see that you have introduced yourself to us. I like how you have made connections to the videos in your blog post. Hope you have a great class experience!
ReplyDeleteMelissa,
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The students in the second video show us so many different ways of expressing themselves that takes a lot of skill. They had so many talents and used technology in so many ways. They were passionate about the technology and enjoyed using it. This passion and enthusiasm is something as educators that we need to feed off of. We can use it to help get them excited, especially with a topic like Italian that some students may not think they need. Technology is a great way to get them excited about any subject matter!
Melissa, as a future teacher, it is good that you noticed how Olivia is very good with technology despite her lack of a computer and other different uses of technology at home. This knowledge can be utilized in the classroom to not only the teachers advantage but also the students. By recognizing her particular technological strength, you as the teacher can devise projects, lessons, etc. to advance the students technological knowledge in small ways and won’t have to worry about whether or not they will understand what to do properly.
ReplyDeleteIn the portion of your blog in which you commented on the fact that you use technology more for learning and research purposes whereas the students in the video used it for more creative purposes was very interesting and something that I did not notice previous to reading your blog. I feel that all of us during our high school years and around the age group of the students in the video always used technology for creative purposes ( ex: changing myspace profiles, making videos, etc.) similar to that of Olivia as well. As we get older we are forced to use technology to aid in the new norms of our lives such as doing research for school, projects, etc. and therefore it takes on a completely different approach in our lives. In conclusion, the fact that you brought that overall aspect of the video into perspective was interesting to me.