Technology During My Lifetime
It is crazy how much the world has changed from my first memories to how it is now. When I was in like grade 1 or 2 somehow I got an MSN Messenger account even though I was not old enough. This meant that I had to sit by the computer and wait for people to respond to me. Then it was Facebook Messenger. I don’t know why I will always remember it but my mother did not have a cell phone until I was like 5 years old. I got a cell phone in grade 6 and now it seems like everybody either has a cellphone or a tablet. Life is so much more convenient but also scary with phones that can do anything a computer can do instantly.
Implementing it into my Classroom
It is crazy that in 1989 people were saying that the internet was not going to be a big thing. A respected voice even went onto ABC and said “You aren’t going to turn passive consumers into active trollers on the internet.”- Stephen Weiswasser. With hindsight we know now that the internet is full of trollers and that anything can go viral locally or across the world in no time at all. This means that in my classroom I need to communicate with my students at an early age the good and the bad of the internet. Students need to understand that if they decide to be on social media or anything that is part of the technology. At the same time it can build a brand that represents you as who you want to be.
There are two options and one is a good idea and the other is a mistake that I believe is realized very quickly. Educational technology has changed so much even in the last decade. Throughout my entire Elementary and High School education we did not have Ipads or chromebooks in the classroom/ We had to go computer lab when we wanted to do research projects or learn how to type. Now every classroom I have been part of has Ipads if it is below grade 3 and and everyone else has access to a chromebooks. I think at the end of the day it is important to make sure that students understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to participate with technology. If you use it properly then it makes things way easier and it also creates many good opportunities in the classroom and outside of it.
Information can be taught to students directly or through inquiry. Technology also allows for inquiry and connecting with people from different places inside the country and other countries. I could see myself using pen pals to connect students with others because it allows students to learn more than I can give them.
Hey Cody,
I too remember the days of MSN and it is crazy to think that it was just the start of our involvement in social media. Technology has evolved a ton. I like what you said about using technology and how it can be a great tool in our classrooms. I think that technology makes options endless whether that is in lesson delivery or ways students demonstrate learning for assessment! It can also be an excellent support and resource to create a more inclusive space for all learners! Good post!