The second chapter discussed the perspective of a technology enthusiast. I thought that it was really interesting how the chapter discussed that we are living in the 21st century and we still tend to teach children like we did in the 19th century. We have to prepare out students so they can adapt to the work places of tomorrow. My favorite part of the chapter discussed using interactive web games to get students engaged in what they are learning. I used to love educational games when I was growing up. This is something that I want to implement heavily in my own classroom.
I agree with several points in the enthusiasts perspective, especially when it comes to the use of games to engage students. I also agree that sitting and memorizing lectures is what kills a student's curiosity and eagerness to learn. I'm interested to read the skeptics view of technology in the next chapter. I have a feeling I'll disagree with several points, but I'm sure it will be worth reading.
Quotes from Chapter 2:
"Enthusiasts argue that trying to prepare students for the 21st century with 19th century technology is like teaching people to fly a rocket ship by having them ride bicycles." pg 10
I picked this quote because my Educational Psychology professor describes education in a very similar way. He frequently says that we try to teach students to ride a bike by reading about the bike, giving a presentation about the bike and sketching the bike. We should just let the students ride the bike. I really enjoy the symbolism and believe it to ring true. Students are going to graduate from school and be expected to use a vast array of technologies. If we don't prepare them for this future, then we are not doing our job as educators.
The interactivity of new media technologies provides a number of capabilities to enhance education. As is evident from the popularity of computer games, interactivity can be very engaging In fact, this is why drill and practice games, such as typing tutors and Math Blaster, can entice children to learn content that they might otherwise consider "boring." pg 18-19
I owned and played Math Blaster with my brother when we were growing up. The reason that I can look at the text and type the words without staring at the keyboard on my laptop is that I had typing games that I played in my middle school class that taught me while entertaining me. Using games to teach is a very great way for students to learn. There are even games such as Assassin's Creed for the Xbox that are incredibly historically accurate. Players can interact with places and people from different eras of history so they are learning while playing. While this game isn't a directly educational game, it still teaches. If we can figure out the best ways to use games, we can keep students engaged and learning.
"Like progressive reformers throughout the 20th century, technology advocates do not like the aspects of traditional school, where students are supposed to sit still and listen to teachers talk, memorize the information given them by teachers and books, and regurgitate that information back on tests. They think that this destroys most students' curiosity and desire to learn." pg 28
I completely agree with the above statement. Growing up, I saw too many of my classmates get bored with the traditional, boring classroom. I truly believe that if my classmates had been more interested and engaged at school, more would have ended up going to college. It's really quite sad to think about. Students in this day and age are not wired to sit and listen to lecture for hours on end. As educators, we need to engage our students and foster their creativity. This is the best way to reach all students in the classroom. If we don't reach all students in the classroom, we are not doing our job as educators. This is why I am an advocate of teaching with technology.
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