My Personal Vision of Technology in Education

Use it. Use it. Use it! Students need to be able to use a computer proficiently and comfortably if they want to succeed in the world - this I knew before entering this class. Students can use the internet to increase their authentic learning while increasing their skill of technology - this I hadn't understood before taking this class.

Each week as I desperately figure out how to teach another week, I am constantly using internet resources that range from webquests to online newspaper journals. I think the one thing that i continue to disagree with Dr. K is the idea of a computer lab. Granted it would be great to have a computer for each and every student, it's just not possible. I prefer being able to take my whole class to the computer lab on days when we are using technology to enhance our learning. If we had a handful of computers in the classroom, I would not be able to do this. Moreover, I love that my school has a technology class built into the schedule so that my students are slowly becomming proficient in basic computer programs that include Microsoft everything and navigating around the internet. This has proved to be invaluable because when I take my classes to the computer lab, I don't have to worry as much about teaching them 'how to use the computer.' Rather they are able to use the computer to increase their learning.

In all honesty, I have loved this class. Ok, my seventh graders are getting anxious. Thanks!

Get ready for some grumbling, a little protesting, and a whole lot of whining...

My title could be translated to
I am finished with online discussions. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time on the computer reading other peoples' postings, fishing through off-topic discussions, and trying to remember which post was created for which site (specifically my blog, my two blackboard discussions, and my Chapman-online discussion). I really hope that my next classes will not be so focused on online discussions. As many of you know, I learn through being verbal and that learning style is far from recognized when I am sitting at my desk reading post after post after post. So to rant, but I am over this. Peace.

Where's the freaking wi-fi in this desert?

Today while celebrating the joys of Christmas eve with my extended family, I realized that our internet access in my parents' Palm Springs house was not working. Their home is nestled in the boonies of the boonies where luckily a Starbucks is a mere seven miles away. Needing to do a quiz for my online class, I got into my car and crossed my fingers that Starbucks had wi-fi access. I had always heard about this whole starbucks internet access phenomenon but I had needed to experience it. As I entered the coffee shop with two hours to go, I ordered a drink and prayed that I could connect. Nope.

Apparently T-mobile has a monopoly on Starbucks in Palm Springs and you need some funky account in order to use it but you can't sign up at Starbucks, you have to go to T-mobile to sign up. I quickly jumped back into my car with no idea of where to go to get "hooked up." Forty-five minutes later, I find an open kinkos and hope in desperation that they have internet access. Yes! They do but it takes me another 15 minutes to figure out how to connect my laptop to the thing. I then proceed to freak out because the little machine next to my laptop eats my credit card. I put it in and it stays there! Luckily the kinkos guy explains that when I clock out, my credit card will come back out.

I hate how much I had to rely on technology today. Especially when everyone swam and bathed in the sunlight all afternoon while I drove around all of Palm Springs in a desperate attempt to find internet. Even better, my brother decided to try and fix the internet an hour after I got back and had it up and running 15 minutes later. I could kill him.

Technology Overload

Ok, for the past couple of weeks I have had to juggle three computer-intensive courses through Chapman University. I am on computer overload! In all honesty, I think that I would prefer to add an extra hour on to my classes rather than have an hour of online "chatting" required for each class. I am over having to navigate through a million (yes, for emphasis, a million) different conversations to see if anyone has replied to what I wrote, then figure out what it was that a wrote, then read what others have written. Do that for an hour, repeat, and then repeat again...each week. Many who know me understand that I am a verbal type of person. I miss the heat of an argument, the adrelaline rush as you patiently wait to verbally attack the opinions of another students, and the soothing ambiance of a classroom where everyone is on the same page and understands a new topic together.

Ok, this is not to downplay the essential quality technology can hold. But, if this is where classrooms are headed, watch out because us verbal-izers are not going to be happy!

Technology in the hands of doctors

As I mentioned in a earlier post, a close friend of mine has cancer. His weekly blogs usually talk about all the different medicines and doctor updates he receives. This one was a bit different. He wrote about how a book a nurse had given him that explains some general differences between western and eastern medicine. The book, and he, discusses how western medicine and the doctors involved often stress on the importance of the technological advances in machinery and medicine and therefore rely on these advancements for the improvements of their patients. The book also explains how eastern medicine stresses the importance of the healer and how patients need to look within themselves and not the technology around them to measure their health. While its important to check blood pressure, white blood cell counts, and temperature, it is more important to check the overall spirit of the patient.

He has taken this idea and now has really begun to implement it into his treatment. When doctors and nurses ask him how he is doing, he does not automatically look at the big machine monitor next to his bed. Instead, he ponders his recent meditation sessions and his overall health. It has proven to be a better indicator than what the box next to him says.

I have really begun thinking about this. Will probably need to think more about it.

I have no text messaging and life goes on...

A few days ago, in a mad rush to get to my car, I dropped my phone for the 278,395 time since I bought it more than 1 1/2 years ago. Thinking nothing of it, I grabbed it, brushed off some gravel and jumped into my car. A few minutes later, my phone begins to ring and I grab it to see who is calling me. To my sudden horror, my phone had decided to no longer allow me to see anything on my phone. No caller id, no phone book, no text messaging! Gone are the days of ignoring pesky callers. Gone are the days of having every possible friends' (and some not quite friends) phone numbers. Gone are the days of late night sexy text chat.

Suprisingly, I feel a bit liberated. I merely just don't answer my phone anymore. When I hear the ring that informs me I have a text message, I simply check off another person thinking that I am ignoring them. Really, the important friends have figured it out and know to leave me a message. The rest just think I am a jerk. After three weeks of this (yes, three weeks) I was finally able to convince Sprint to give me a new phone for free (gotta love the powerful methods of persuasion and sex appeal). The phone should be arriving sometime this coming week. If I have ignored you, I apologize.

Teaching Job

Alright, so I just got this gig teaching social studies to sixth and seventh grade students at a charter school in East L.A. Instead of lamenting on how limited my knowledge of ancient civilizations and world history is, I will instead talk about the cool phone and laptop I got with it. Apparently, part of the school's mission is to make teachers more accessible for students. So, I get to carry around a school cell phone with me and am required to be on call until 8:30 every night. The idea is that if students do not understand the homework or need a little ZPD guidance, I am just a phone call away. Great for the students, kind of sucks that I can NEVER not be a teacher. Oh, I also get a laptop with wireless internet and wireless printer settings so that when I need to print something it goes directly the big copy machine that is convienantly just two doors down. This whole uniform printing method is great for me because I am able to print much copies straight to a big ole laser printer and everything is done quite quickly. Kind of sucks though for the teachers a little farther away that can't just run out to grab some copies.

Trying to figure out the football game

During this Thanksgiving weekend, my alma mater (University of Utah) and my father's alma mater (BYU) played in their big game. My father was quite anxious to watch it but did not know if or which of his 124,345,883 channels provided coverage of the game. Although I feigned indifference, I went online to try and figure it out. First, I went to the U of U website and found out the time and channel listed for Salt Lake Residents. Then, I had go to our cable provider's website to find a contact number to call. Next, I called the number, navigated my way through a maze of automated dialing, and finally talk to representative who could have very likely been talking to me thousands of miles away. Once I gave her the listed channel for Salt Lake City, she was able to give me the correct channel for my area. To double check, I accessed the guide on the television, looked ahead three days, and found that it was correct. All of this is pretty normal for 2006 but would have sound crazy 20 years ago. It got me thinking. What will be normal 20 years from now?

Watching my cousins-once-removed in the pool

Today my cousin brought over his three daughters to play in parents' pool. As I leisurly dipped my feet into the cool waters, I overheard them playing a game. One had shouted "Now you must go online and sign up for the contest." After the six-year-old had stated the rule, the two other FOUR-year-olds immediately began play typing and then announced that they had "signed on" and were ready for the contest to begin. I almost dropped my diet coke into the pool. How in the world had computers entered into a pool game? Really? When I asked my cousin if they were "computer-inlined" at home, he merely shook his head and was also a bit suprised when I explained the game that they had invented. So, is this a bad thing or are they just "with it" when it comes to computers?

Jury Duty can kiss it

Today, I sit in an over-crowded, over-air conditioned, and overwhelming jury duty waiting area hoping that my name is not called so that I can go back to work tomorrow and make some money. That said, they have internet access! Apparently, the biggest complaint of waiting jurors was that they couldn't be productive while waiting to be called. The courts listened and put in seven computers with access to the internet. Granted, it costs me five dollars for an hour but at least it means that I can get some work done for my three very computer intensive classes. One potential juror wondered if they had wi-fi access and they said that if enough people write it up in the suggestion box, it could happen. Apparently, many assumed that they already had it because I see a lot of dormant laptop cases sitting around the room. Wi-fi during jury duty = a beautiful and productive idea...We shall see.