Although technology has been around for as long as I can remember, I have seen it progress over the years and go from this…
To this…
Now a days, I slowly watch technology take over our lives, mine included, and see how everyone is so dependent on it but also have seen how it benefits a person.
I remember when I was in Kindergarten and Grade One and you would walk into the classroom after recess or something and the TV cart would be sitting at the front of the room. You knew it was going to be a good day whether you were watching some sort of video or movie. When I walk into a classroom now, everything revolves around technology.
“An Anthropological Introduction to Youtube,” from Michael Wesch is a video of him talking about how there is a whole other world out there when it comes to the Internet and how Youtube has an effect on it among many other things. One of the videos he talks about is the ‘Numa Numa Guy’ video. The video is of a guy who is jamming out to a song and is straight up having a good time, minding his own business. This goes to show that one of the biggest contributors to the internet is Youtube. As I am doing my learning project, if I look up a recipe and go to watch a video, it usually leads back to Youtube or can at least be found on Youtube. Wesch points out how it has created a community as the video had many remakes and versions made from it after it blew up. In conclusion, he also goes into detail about the positives of the internet as well as discussing the negatives of it that could lead to people getting hurt or upset.
With Technology being the big thing it is, how does it effect a classroom?
Covid-19 has been challenging for everyone, including the teachers and students within the schools. Now, more than ever, teachers rely on Technology in order to educate their students. I am currently an Educational Assistant within the Saskatoon Public School Division and as I walk into the classroom and observe everything that is happening, you quickly pick up that everything relies on Technology. They do their attendance, keep track of marks, contact parents, provide notes and booklets among many other things because they have access to Technology. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing at all as I find it truly fascinating and amazing with what you all have for resources as a teacher. Even though you cannot meet face to face, the world of Technology has made it so you can still connect with people from all over the world and talk to those other teachers and be able to discuss and relate on different subjects.
In our EDTC 300 course we have talked about so many useful tools that will help you succeed as a teacher that I had known nothing about. We have covered so many different websites, social media platforms, like Twitter, and other hacks like removing ads and what not. We have talked about how teachers have the unlimited access to the Internet and how they can educate their students so it can help them as well. They themselves are able to communicate with their peers and fellow teachers to broaden their knowledge.
The world of Technology is here and I cannot wait to continue to use it to my advantage when I become a Teacher!
Technology has gained such a critical role in education today. I too remember the days of the teacher dragging out the big box tv, or using an old projector. It is crazy how things change and it kind of makes you wonder what a classroom will look like in another 10-20 years. Great post!
Hey Ciera!
I related so hard to the T.V. cart reference, it was a simpler time! I truly feel like during those times I was happier and more present in each moment because I didn’t have the constant distraction of my phone or laptop. The one thing that is unfortunate about growing up in a time when technology grew exponentially, is that nobody was able to really teach us how to responsibly use the internet/technology because nobody completely understood it. This is why I think it is so important to stay up to date on the technological world as a teacher. We need to be able to educate our students on appropriate and efficient use of technology in order to harness its full potential in and out of the classroom.
Thanks for such a thoughtful post, Ciera! I might be dating myself… but I remember when the Numa Numa video came out and it was all the rage. It felt like the beginning of “viral videos” and truly demonstrated the power and popularity of the internet. Michael Wesch does a great job of describing the impacts of technology and the internet. I would agree with you in saying technology is absolutely prevalent in the classroom. I like that you bring up the power that it has to connect people from all over the world, as you have seen and learned about in this EDTC 300 course. I would love to hear more of your reflections and critiques on how technology is used in the classroom. In your next post, try to bring in more critical reflection so that your readers can see both sides of the topic. You did a great job of including links, images, and even a tweet in your post. For your next post, you could even include headings to organize your post into themes and topics. Thanks again for sharing your insights!