Sunday, October 31, 2010

Technology in the Classroom

So I didn't realize that we are to be posting blogs all the time. I guess I didn't read everything correctly, and I have some catching up to do! I was reading some of my professional blogs today and Two of them really caught my eye. One was on Dr. Z Reflects and the other was the Langwitches Blog. It was interesting, because they were both pertaining basically to the same thing, which is using Social Technologies in the classroom.

In Dr. Z Reflects it was interesting to see the difference between social media and social networking. I never really thought about it and kind of threw them into the same pot. Dr. Z explains the difference and the fact that they can be combined into one category, which is social technologies. I know I am pry not the only person who ever thought this way, and Dr. Z does a good job explaining the difference. All these social technologies are related. I know that on Facebook many people use this social network to post information from social media such as Youtube and blogs.

In the Langwitches blog the blogger was discussing the fact that if we are going to prepare the students of today for the future, we need to understand how to use different social technologies ourselves. We often talk about how technology is the future, but yet many of the classrooms of today do not reflect that. Some say that it is because we can't afford many things, and others say it is because teachers may not know how to implement them. The thing is there are many web 2.0 products out there for us to use for free. Also, I believe that professional development days are a perfect opportunity to get teachers learning about these web 2.0 products.

The classrooms of today are different than those of the past, and the ones of the future are going to be extremely different than the ones of today. Education needs to be changing along with them, and implementing social technologies into the classroom is a step in the right direction, in my opinion. I look forward to learning more, so I can help prepare my future students to succeed in an ever changing world!

6 comments:

  1. Emily,

    Both blogs are very supportive of social technologies. Another interesting blog is found at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2010/10/speak_up_study_students_want_m.html which discusses students' perspective regarding technology integration into the classroom.

    Billie

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  2. Emily,
    I think that educators do not have the opportunity to implement them for several reasons. First, they are not knowledgable Prior to this class, many of the technologies were completely unknown or very new to me. Therefore, educators need to take classes, go to workshops, attend conferences, read blogs, etc. Be proactive in their own learning.
    Second, educators need support in order to attend these learning opportunities. They need to be offered. At one of my institutions, I have yet to be invited or informed about any learning opportunity. So not only do the opportunities need to exist--they need to be funded. It needs to have high importance if the learners are going to develop the skills they will need (and already do need) to be successful. Desire to learn, opportunity to do so, and funding to back it all up...
    Thanks,
    Shelly

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  3. I totally agree with you. Today's educational is not beneficial until everybody and I mean the whole world is involved in it.That is where collaborative education steps in. The basic principle behind it is that no individual or country is self sufficient knowledge wise. We now have to learn how to depend on each other to survive in today's ever changing world.

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  4. Emily,

    Social networking does have a tremendous impact on student achievement. I'm actually in the early stages of writing a research paper on its implications. It will be interesting to see how it changes and continues to develop over the next five years. As students continue to use social networking it is important that we as educators understand its various capabilities because it truly is one of the best ways to communicate with them.

    Jarod Mozer

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  5. Glad that you found the posting on Social Networks and Social Media interesting. I can't say that I think that I fully appreciate the definitions, but will keep trying.

    It would be useful for you to actually include the links to the postings in your blog posting. That way it is easier for us to review your sources.

    I agree with what Shelly is saying about educators needing support to attend educational conferences, workshops and informational gatherings. Fortunately, there are also online conference like the FREE Global Education Conference on Nov 15-18 http://tinyurl.com/23ajldh

    Z

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  6. I think that education that uses relvant subjects and technology is really important. Students need a reason to want to come to school and learn. Classrooms of the past have nothing to offer them and technology is away to engage the up an coming generations!

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