Blog Post #3

Michael Wesch:  A Vision of Students Today
     I feel that this video does a very good job at showing a typical college student's life.  To be a college student you have to be able to multi-task.  You have so many responsibilities and not enough hours to complete them   in.  Of course, you have the cost of college included in the video.  This is something that pertains to every student.  One of the notes that stood out to me was the student who bought $100 books that he never opened.  This is prevalent in many schools.  I did the same thing last semester.  I was told what books were needed and then we never used them.  Even as close as this hits student life on the nail there were a few things left out.
     I did not see a single person over the age of 25.  Colleges have more and more older people returning to school and I think that they should have been included in the video.  With the older ages you also have a few different costs associated with college.  Day care is a big expense for older students.  And we can not leave out how much commuters spend in gas.  Of course that one pertains to all students.
     I know that technology was the bigger theme in the video but I was more drawn to the topics that I listed above.  I believe that for this video to pertain to all students, then some of the things that I mentioned would need to be added.

It's Not About the Technology
     I believe Ms. Hines has a good understanding of what our classrooms and teachers really need.  All the technology in the world will do no good if it is not used properly.  Changes need to be made in the way teachers are trained.  As Ms. Hines says "Teachers must be learners."
     I have said in some of my earlier posts that you must teach students how to learn.  But in order to do that, we as teachers must learn to be learners first.  We must constantly be learning new techniques that can be used in the classrooms.
     Another point that Ms. Hines made was to "Be a 21st Century Teacher Without the Technology."  How true this statement is.  We must be prepared as teachers to be in a school that does not have an abundance of technology at its disposal.  If we are able to teach the skills, even without the technology, we will surely make a difference in our students education.

Karl Fisch:  Is is Okay to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?
     Mr. Fisch has reinforced something that I mentioned above.  "In order to teach it, we have to do it.  How can we teach this to kids, how can we model it, if we aren't literate ourselves?"  I am in complete agreement with him.  In fact I believe it is becoming my soap box.
     As teachers we are preparing students for a future that will be much different form our past.  We must be able to show students how to use the technology we are given but also why it is important.  Kids can be very lazy.  If they see that their teacher does no think something is important enough to learn that you can kiss them showing any interest in it goodbye.
     We are the examples that our students see.  A person is never to old to learn something new.  Now I do know that it sometimes takes longer to learn something when you are older and some patience needs to be given for the teachers who are trying to become technologically literate.  But if a teacher refuses to learn then it may be time to start advertising the position.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count
     After watching the counter for a few minutes, I was amazed at the numbers I saw.  There were 940 new twitter accounts in 270 seconds.  Media is expanding by the minute and I don't think people are aware of the speed of it.  Teachers especially are at a disadvantage when it comes to the technology that is changing rapidly.
    When the school that you are teaching in has finally got up to date on the technology of the time, it will be another ten to fifteen years before they can upgrade again.  The schools just don't have the money.  But that brand new technology that you have in your classroom will be obsolete within  five years.  You will be trying to teach students the most up to date skills with outdated technology.  This will be a problem for all teachers.
     We must learn all we can and never stop learning so we will be able to teach our students what is needed even if we don't have the technology that is the newest and the best.  When we are able to reach this level then I feel we will have become good teachers.