Weekly Discussion for 2/24/12

After seeing the presentation, I was shocked to see how technology has been viewed over the centuries. I think it is eye-opening to see how negatively people looked at innovative technologies. I also thought that it was interesting how important technology is becoming for education. I think that often teachers take the easy way out and use technology only as a crutch for what they already do. I think as newer teachers enter into the field, technology will be pro-actively used for the good of the students.

In order to prepare students for the 21st century, I believe that teachers should integrate the latest techniques of education, which includes use of technology. Students will need to know how to use a computer, use presentation and word processing software, and how to troubleshoot technological issues. Often students will have to deal with technological issues no matter what profession they enter into and it is important that, as educators, we prepare them for that. I found an article that agrees with that point and expands on it, stating that students should understand how to use collaborative online tools as well (http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/6-reasons-why-students-need-21st-century-skills/). Another website added that we should be teaching students about critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and self-direction as well (http://www.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=369&Itemid=64)

I plan to bridge the technology gap between "Old School" and "New School" by using "older" style science experiments, but encouraging the use of spreadsheets and word-processing software to record data and write reports. Students would be able to create visual presentations of their data through programs like Prezi or create a blog on the experimental process.

For my educational artifact I created a word cloud using terms from chemistry and biology. This could be used for an anticipatory set for students entering my classroom for the first time.

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4901246/ChemBio