After watching the “A Vision of Students Today” video:
I really don’t understand how people could thing that current teaching methods have become obsolete. How hard could it be to sit and listen to what an instructor is saying? There’s no reason or excuse for not wanting to learn—isn’t that what we’re going to school for? Yes, technology can definitely help and assist classroom learning, but it shouldn’t overtake it. If we all sat in front of our computers and technology all day, would we really learn how to socialize amongst one another? Would it really make learning any better?
“The inventor of the system deserves to be ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not the greatest benefactors of mankind.”
- Josiah F. Bumstead 1841
…on the benefits of the chalkboard
I really can appreciate when technology is used to assist learning in the classroom. I think PowerPoint has really made a big difference in presentations. It’s so much more organized than an overhead projector and it’s so much easier to read. This is the kind of technology that I believe helps in a classroom. After all, the chalkboard was once a brilliant piece of technology that aided the growth of classroom learning.
It’s the outside technology—cell phones and laptops—that have proven to be a hindrance. I have a younger sister who texts all throughout her school day—is she even learning anything? How about people who surf the web or play games on their laptop during class. Why even bother showing up if you’re not going to pay attention.
I think it’s incredible that you can now take courses online. This has helped so many people who normally wouldn’t be able to attend college. To cut down on the ridiculous cost of gas, I decided to take two courses online this semester so I drive to the campus twice a week. Though I am having a bit of trouble adjusting, it seems like it’s beginning to run smoother.
Being able to multi-task seems to be critical for students nowadays. It can get extraordinarily hard to juggle my life with school work sometimes, but I’ve only gotten better with practice. I was always taught to be very respectful of teachers—when I’m at school I should focus on school. If you’re attending college, it’s by choice in which case you should want to learn. There’s no excuse for spending too much time surfing the web or Myspacing so much that you weren’t able to get your work done. Are we so wrapped up in technology that we can’t put it aside for a short time? In my opinion, it sounds like a matter of being unable to prioritize.
There’s no reason why technology can’t be a part of a person’s life as long as it’s in a limited dose. Although I feel as though technology has become a double-edged sword, there’s no reason to have it taking away from other aspects of our lives.
Sometimes, instead of saving us, technology only hinders.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Social Networking Sites
I'm not really involved in many social networking sites anymore--I spend most of my time online reading things like news articles or shopping. I didn't have a facebook until I had to make one for my English 396C course. Well, I did have one for a brief time when a friend asked me to make one, but when I didn't do anything on it, I deleted it. I have a Myspace but I only use it to keep in contact with a friend that moved to Mexico. If it wasn't for her, I would probably delete it.
The only websites I would actually like to participate in are photo or art sharing websites such as: deviantART, flickr, and photobucket. I'm really interested in photography, so being able to get some feedback outside of family and friends is always a plus. It's also a good way to keep up with friends and family. On photobucket, I can watch my sister-in-law's garden grow throughout the year. She's always uploading new photos of all her flowering plants and beautiful garden.
On the other side of the matter, I think social networking sites such as Myspace have become an important tool for businesses and employers. I know of one person who advertises their photography studio through Myspace to bring in some extra business. DeviantART members are able to sell their art work through the site. Employers are able to do a quick check on these sites and see what a future employee may really be like. People have even been “discovered” on sites such as YouTube.
It's quite obvious just how much of an impact these sites do have now. I can do a simple search and under the "images" tab of the search engine, there will always be a bajillion photos from websites like flickr and photobucket. YouTube and especially Wikipedia are another two that always pop up with links. Maybe Wikipedia seems like an odd one to mention here, but I do think it fits since anyone can participate by editing or adding a certain subject matter.
Even though I haven’t had the full experience of social networking sites, I have been able to experience a small portion of them and I’m not quite sure I fully agree with the concept of a few of them. I prefer to hold active-time conversations with people whenever I can. I would rather do all my networking face-to-face where I could make a more positive impact. Not to mention, how could I hold together any sort of relationship with my friends and family if all I did was send them the occasional message through Myspace. What’s wrong with a phone call or taking a small trip to go see somebody?
Now, if I try to look at social networking sites a little more positively, I can really see why some people use them. Many people have been able to get back into contact or keep in touch with people they normally wouldn’t. I would imagine that for some, using these sites is a lot quicker and easier.
The only websites I would actually like to participate in are photo or art sharing websites such as: deviantART, flickr, and photobucket. I'm really interested in photography, so being able to get some feedback outside of family and friends is always a plus. It's also a good way to keep up with friends and family. On photobucket, I can watch my sister-in-law's garden grow throughout the year. She's always uploading new photos of all her flowering plants and beautiful garden.
On the other side of the matter, I think social networking sites such as Myspace have become an important tool for businesses and employers. I know of one person who advertises their photography studio through Myspace to bring in some extra business. DeviantART members are able to sell their art work through the site. Employers are able to do a quick check on these sites and see what a future employee may really be like. People have even been “discovered” on sites such as YouTube.
It's quite obvious just how much of an impact these sites do have now. I can do a simple search and under the "images" tab of the search engine, there will always be a bajillion photos from websites like flickr and photobucket. YouTube and especially Wikipedia are another two that always pop up with links. Maybe Wikipedia seems like an odd one to mention here, but I do think it fits since anyone can participate by editing or adding a certain subject matter.
Even though I haven’t had the full experience of social networking sites, I have been able to experience a small portion of them and I’m not quite sure I fully agree with the concept of a few of them. I prefer to hold active-time conversations with people whenever I can. I would rather do all my networking face-to-face where I could make a more positive impact. Not to mention, how could I hold together any sort of relationship with my friends and family if all I did was send them the occasional message through Myspace. What’s wrong with a phone call or taking a small trip to go see somebody?
Now, if I try to look at social networking sites a little more positively, I can really see why some people use them. Many people have been able to get back into contact or keep in touch with people they normally wouldn’t. I would imagine that for some, using these sites is a lot quicker and easier.
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