The only technology that I've every really come across in the classroom are your basic presentation material; Powerpoint and Word. Lately I've dealt with Blackboard to retrieve assignments. I think those programs are beneficial in the classroom, but there should be limitations. I've noticed many people, students and teachers alike, don't really know the proper way to use Powerpoint. Putting too much info. on slides and just reading directly from them is just boring. I can't speak for other students, but I know I tune out. So while that's a great classroom tool, it's ineffective if used the wrong way.
That's really all I've come across in my own classroom settings, except maybe in this class. While I agree that technology can be a benefit in the classroom, I also feel like it can be a deterrent. Having everyone sitting in front of their own computer is definitely a distraction. I've noticed people just can't keep themselves from messing around on them, even when we are supposed to be listening or participating. If students in a college classroom can't concentrate fully with a PC in front of them, how can we expect students in a K through 12 setting to? Sometimes technology in the classroom can be more distracting than helpful, which I feel complicates the learning process even further.
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I agree very much with what you have to say. I feel many rely heavily on technologies to do the work for them. Also the temptation of having a computer in front of you is very distracting. I for one have a very hard time when I do not feel challenge of wondering off and getting lost on the internet. You brought up the use of Blackboard while I like Blackboard I feel using to many technologies can become confusing a juxtaposition of information. I feel sometimes it to much I’d rather get a hardcopy assignment paper sometimes. I find myself going to my syllabus to blackboard to wiki to blog. Its just a chain of find and figuring out just what your suppose to be to do a homework. Sometimes the technology becomes confusing to me just cause the information is here and there. Sometimes we use to much technology.
I completely agree with you! technology is fantastic as an additive to the classroom and can make a lesson very enriching. but at the same time i've noticed the same thing among our own classmates. i mean even from my personal experience all i want to do is surf the web througb class...but i don't because i feel it would be extremely rude. also i liked the point you made about the inappropriate use that some professors have of technology, i mean i thought it was a select few professors who inappropriately used technology, but the fact that it is more prevalent in the education system make me worry for students who aren't as focused.
Hey! I agree even being a college student you think we would be okay sitting infront a computer, listening to a teacher lecture from a powerpoint or whatever but actually its boring if we just sit there and do the same thing over and over again. If i am tired im going to dose off maybe even doodle. If me being 19 years old cant sit ina college classroom and learn how can i expect my students to sit there. technology is a great tool but (as you read my blog) i think we have to teach using other tools besides technology.
All interesting comments. It's a good question - if college students can't sit through a class without wandering off, how might we expect younger folks to do? So it's not just the technology itself that's important, but also the broader classroom context (sounds familiar?). I actually agree with all of you that the classroom we're in isn't the ideal setup. Ideally, we would also have a couple of conference tables in the room and chairs around the table, so that we could conduct most of class that way, and use the computers only when necessary for a particular activity. Since that's not the situation, maybe you can help me brainstorm ways of getting more involved/getting around being at individual computers!
(By the way, I'm glad someone pointed out that being distracted is also not technology dependent - doodling, or if in lower grades, note passing, being other means for distraction. All of which, I think, gets back to our discussions that it's about good teaching!)
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