Week 14: Education through Second Life

Nowadays, there are more and more students that are gamers. For them, education in a classroom where you copy notes from the board can be boring, ineffective and unproductive. It's time to change the way we teach students in today's classrooms. One way to do this is through the game called Second Life. It's a virtual game that allows learning to take place through both traditional and non-tradtional settings. There is a "classroom emulation" where avatars can sit and learn material, but they can learn in other ways as well. One of the benefits of the game is that a teacher can show their students what a different country or a piece of art looks like without actually being there. Most people will never have the chance to go to Italy or see a Picasso painting first-hand. Second life allows you to experience these things with it's amazing amount of detail and ability to make everything look realistic. Another cool feature is that of the "scavenger hunt." Avatars can look for information related to their field of study. Through this activity, they learn new vocabulary and can learn how to recognize paintings in a gallery etc. Avatars can also work together on projects which helps teach people how to connect, communicate and interact with others. Avatars can also be quizzed or follow tutorials for specific material assigned by their teachers, at their own pace. Teachers and other professionals can also benefit from such games. People from around the world can meet and discuss ideas and topics. The ability to see that person's avatar and interact with it makes the meeting seem more real than just chatting through email or a blog.

I would probably not use this in my classroom, because I want to teach kindergarten and it may be a little too advanced for them. However, it's good to know about it in case I were to ever teach older students. It's also cool to learn that such games can actually be used for educational purposes and are not just a waste of time. While I still believe that first-hand experiences and person to person learning is better than learning online, there are many benefits to online learning especially when travel or time changes don't allow people to meet face to face.

This video is an example of how learning can take place on Second Life. It covers science and I thought it was neat because everything looked so real and I think that it gives people a better idea of cell structure, the human body, etc.

Examples of Learning on Second Life (specifically Science in this video)

Week 13: Gaming, Teaching and Learning

This week we discussed how technology is rapidly changing the way people in general, and students, learn. While technology has evolved outside of the classroom not much has happened in the classroom. For the most part, teachers stick to the traditional way of teaching where they explain a concept and the students take notes and are then tested on the material. While this was effective in the 19th and 20th centuries, we are now in the 21st century where so much more is available. Most students are more apt to learn if there is some form of technology involved. They like seeing examples through power point and videos, instead of simply having them explained to them. Instead of teachers having the role of the "teller" they need to be the "guider." Students like to be asked their opinions on topics and like to interact with each other through group projects. If teachers start helping students learn instead of just lecturing, the students will be more successful. However, this is not to say that by simply using technology a student will learn. Technology must be appropriately integrated into the curriculum otherwise students will not understand the connections between things. Nowadays, students are used to looking information up on the internet, finding it instantly, and scanning articles instead of reading them completly. Educational games can be extremly useful and can motivate students to learn. They encourage them to set goals and they are forced to memorize and learn certain things in order to win the games.
All of this is important for me to keep in mind. I have to try and integrate technology along with book work. It's also nice to know that teachers are not expected to know how every bit of technology works, because the students know that already and it is the teacher's job to grade the work and help the students learn as much as possible.
This was an interesting article that brought up great points about technology in the classroom. It also reminds us of how not everything found online is quality information. I thought that the ideas that it gave, such as starting a class website, were great.
Technology in the classroom

Week 12: Distance Education and creating a professional web presence

This week we learned about distance education. Distance education is provided through the use of technology to teach students who are not physically in the classroom. It can be done in a number of ways including email, internet, tv broadcastor by mobile access which is done on a wireless device. Online education means that the teacher and student(s) are separated by time and space but are able to discuss topics through online discussion forums, phone or email. There are many advantages to distance eduaction. One of them is that students can work at their own pace. This is important because some students may feel overwhlemed in a typical school setting, and may do better when able to work at their own pace. DE also allows adults to go back to school while taking classes around their work schedules. It also gives more people access to information that they may not have available to them at their school. It also has its disadvantages though. A major one is cost (some can be quite expensive). Another is that students must be highly motivated since they are not expected to physically show up to a classroom and therefore do things around their schedule. Attendance and participation is hard to do and there is a lack of personal contact between the students and the teacher.

In Florida, an online school called Florida virtual school was created. Teachers are accessible from 7:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night and on the weekends. Each month they are also expected to make a phone call to the parents of the students. Assessments and worksheets are typical types of work that are given to students along with exams that usually count for most of the grade. There are also online discussion forums where students are expected to participate and they can ask questions or work together on a project. Virtual schools are increasing but since they are still so new we don't yet know what makes a good online instructor, so there are still many aspects that need to be worked out.

As a future teacher, it is good for me to know about all the options available to students. It may be something to consider as well. It would allow me to live anywhere and still be able to teach. It's also important to learn about the improvements that are made to virtual schools because some of the teaching strategies may be able to transfer to the classroom.

Here is a video about distance education. It's a little long, but I thought it highlighted some important concepts about it:
Distance Education: The challenges and benefits

Week 11: Open Source Software

Open source is an important feature, because it allows people to have free access to change and redistribute source code when something is not working. A lot of times companies do not allow open access to these codes which means that if something breaks, you won't be able to fix it because the company has licences and fees on the codes. This means that they make money when things are not working right and people are forced to pay for the source codes. Richard Storman was the one who created this in the 1970's. When a printer at the company he worked for stopped working, he thought he would easily be able to fix it. He was wrong however, when the printer company refused to give him the source codes, even though he had paid for the printer. So, he quit and started the GNU project to provide free software to people. Basically, with free source software, anyone can alter it so that it works how they want and they don't have to rely on the original manuufacturer to change it for a large sum of money.

This is very handy for teachers. They don't make a lot of money so they shouldn't have to go out and buy expensive programs that may not get used very often. Now, there is the option to get this free source software that allows even the poorest schools to have access to the software. It is no longer only for those with money, anyone can now download, change and share explore as they wish.

This article did a great job of explaining what open source is:

What is Open Source Software?

Social tools in elementary education

Week 10: Learning theory

This week we learned about different learning theories and styles. The two that were focused on were behaviorism and constructivism. Behaviorism is the idea that behavior can be modified and that cause and effect relationships are internal and cannot be seen. One method of conditioning is called classical conditioning. Some examples would be advertisements and whistles on a sports field. Operant conditioning is changing someone's behavior by using consequences. The three components that go along with this type of conditioning are reinforcement, extinction and punishment. The information process theory is another idea we learned. It consists of the change in behavior that is visible to the observer. The computer analogy is often used to describe how learned information is processed. It suggests that there are three different memory stores that work together. They are process, store and retrieve information.
Another theory is the constructivist theory. It is the idea that all knowledge is created by participating in experiences. Learning occurs when the person creates his/her own version of the information. Problem oriented activities, complex environments, cooperative learning, and project based learning are all recommended for this type of learning. There are problems with it though. One is the fact that the teacher cannot verify individual skill levels. Students might not have the prerequisites needed or they may not choose the most efficient method, not all topics are designed for this type of learning and the skills obtained might not work in practical situations.
There is not really one best choice. As a teacher, I will have to keep in mind the fact that everyone learns differently and that I should used multiple strategies when teaching. Some students are more visual while others prefer to listen. While I might have students do some groupd projects, I will need to remember that not everyone likes working with others and that some students learn better on their own. These theories are important to know so that I can use different strategies in the classroom.

This is a website that I thought was very interesting. You have to click on each question in order to read what is written. It was cool, because not only did it provide a background on constructivism, but it also compared comstructivist learning to traditional learning. It also talked about the pros and cons as well as some ideas that can be used in the classroom for students to demonstrate what they have learned.

Constuctivism in the Classroom

Week 9: Google docs

This week we learned about google documents. They make sending attachments much easier. Instead of sending individual emails with attachments on each, google docs allows you to keep attachments on the internet and send emails from them. They help you stay organized, because you only have one version and can make changes of powerpoints or articles immediately. If there are multiple people working on one project, they can all make changes instantly and everyone can see them. Google docs also allows you to control who has access to the project and who is allowed to see them. Instead of having four copies on the computer, which is what happens when you send an attachment, there is only one. Plus, google docs will save all your previous versions so that you can look back at them and have them organized. Google docs also has other cool tools like power point, spread sheets and online calendars.

Google docs can be extremely useful in the classroom. As a teacher, I could have students email me their papers and instead of having tons of attachments to keep track of, I would have everything in one place. Another neat tool is the google docs calendar. This is especially useful for teachers. The google calendar can be put on a website which can then be acccessed by parents and students. Teachers can easily add activities to the calendars and make any changes necessary. It also eliminates the waste of paper from having to make copies for everyone, and by sending it online teachers are sure that parents will receive the calendars so that they can stay posted on what is going on throughout the year.

We also learned about cloud computing. The three parts to it are: applications, platforms and infrastructure. It allows information and projects to be stored in an online "cloud" so that they can be accessed from any computer anywhere. This eliminates the hassle of having to bring your own laptop with you or emailing a project to yourself when you need to work on it. Platforms allow companies to obtain on demand services and pay only a subscription fee. Cloud computing makes it easier to run any programs without having to pay for the software. Companies are able to cut back on costs and are able to access information more efficiently with this new tool. Platforms allow users to access from centralized servers, such as Amazon. The final part is the infrastructure. It is the most important because it provides the storage space and the capabilities for these programs to run.

This is a really helpful article that cleared up a lot about cloud computing:
Cloud computing article

Podcast

Week 8: Podcasting

Podcasts are audio files that can be downloaded to any computer or MP3 player and listened to anytime, anywhere. They are relatively easy to make and can be about any topic. Many schools in the United States have started using them and they can facilitate contact between people around the world as well. Oftentimes, all you need to do is subscribe to them. You can suscribe to them based on favorite programs, specific creators or even by certain topics. Whenever a new podcast is made, the computer can record it just like a vcr would record specific programs.

Creating podcasts is not very hard, but there are certain factors that peple should keep in mind when creating them. Environment is important. A lot of times, people get used to background noise and forget that it is there when they are making a podcast. It's important to turn cellphones off, make sure fans and air conditioners are not too noisy and tell people when you're recording so that they don't interrupt you. You should also have a script already written, and it's good to keep in mind your tone and who your audience is. After you record something, you can edit and cut things out or change the order of the audio. Another important aspect is to keep in mind copyright laws and make sure that you are taking music or other features legally. Once your podcast is ready you can link it on a blog or website and students or clients can listen to it.

As a future teacher, it is important to know how beneficial podcasts can be in the classroom. They can be extremely useful in ESOL classes and allow students to learn English faster and easier. Kids can listen to them outside of school as well, which is important since foreign students often don't speak English outside of school. Podcasts can also be used to help students review for tests and can help them keep up with work that was done while they were absent.

The advantages are that they are useful for language development, students can access them even when they are absent and they can encourage kids to go more in depth on certain topics that may interest them. Podcasts can allow students to publish their work anywhere and give them a sense of pride, knowing that their work can be used by people around the world. The major issue with podcasts is that they take time to make. Editing programs can be challenging at first and teachers have to learn how to use them so that they can teach their students. Oftentimes, teachers don't have extra time to write scripts, do research and practice before recording. However, those teachers that do take time to create podcasts,can greatly enhance their students' ability to learn.

This is a good video about podcasting. It gave really good examples of the advantages of podcasting in the classroom. It's a little long, but I thought that it was very informative.

Podcasting in the classroom

Week 7: Digital Storytelling

This week we learned about digital technologies and how to make our own digital stories. The difference between analog and digital information is that analog is when information is electronic, magnetic, or vibration sensitive, whereas digital information is converted from its original source to a numerical system. Digital photography for example, captures light onto Charged coupling devices and then converts it to numerical data. The advantages to digital photography are that it allows people to take more pictures, eliminates the processing costs, it's easier to manipulate the pictures and digital pictures can be seen immediately.

Videos are electronic storage of moving images. Images are captured and then converted into numerical data just like digital pictures and then they can be transferred to a computer where they can be edited. Videos can be compressed if needed, but they are noticeable worse quality than in their original format. PDAs are another handy tool. They work like computers, but are much smaller and are handheld, like cellphones, palmpilots, or personal organizers.


All of these technological tools can make a difference in the classroom. Now that digital photography is so easy, teachers can take pictures of field trips, for class books and even show before and after pictures to demonstrate improvement that was made. Videos are also helpful. They enable kids to see real- world examples and understand what they are learning. A lot of times, students are able to apply what they have learned better, if they can visualize it. They also allow multilple classes to work together on projects or discussions. Digital photography and video projects are also great ways to enocurage kids to show their creativity!


This week, we also saw different ways to make digital stories, such as animoto, goanimate and imovie. I chose to use animoto and will be putting pictures together with music to tell the story of my trip to the Galapagos.

I chose this clip because the guy does a really good job of explaining what digital storytelling is and how easy it is to do it. You don't need fancy programs and anyone that has access to a computer can tell a digital story. He also explains how many different forms digital stories can take, such as emails, websites, tv, internet, or even in classroom projects or office meetings.

Second Blog Check Start Week 6: Digital Storytelling and Visual Literacy

This week we learned about visual literacy and digital storytelling. We did a photo shop project as well. To be visually literate means that you understand what symbols mean without necessarily needing words to explain what is going on. Just like in writing, there are certain symbols that are common and pretty much universally understood. In one of the articles, it gave the example that cave paintings from a long time ago had deep meanings to those people that created them. The symbols changed into letters gradually, and now we use the alphabet as a means of communicating. It is not the only way to communicate though. You have to know the basics in order to understand more complex visual materials. Some of the basic elements are dots, lines, color hues, shape, direction, texture, etc.

Digital storytelling is another form of visual literacy. It is a way of telling a story through computer images, music, video clips, and recorded narration. Usually, digital stories range from 2-10 minutes in length and are usually focused on a certain subject. They are normally told from a certain point of view. They can be about anything from personal family stories to historical events. An example that they showed on the website was a report about Martin Luter King that was done through recordings of his speeches and pictures of him. They are a good way of documenting important historical events so that people later on can look back on them and remember where and what they were doing when a certain event took place.

Digital storytelling is a great thing to know how to do as a teacher. Many projects can be done by using technology like this. I find these projects to be much more interesting than simply doing a power point. Digital stories are helpful for students to become more engaged in a certain topic and may help them understand better since they are able to visualize what someone or something looked like.

Here are two clips that I found about digital storytelling. The first one is a simple explanation about what digital storytelling is and the second one tells you the basics of making your own digital story on a Mac!

What is digital storytelling?

How to make a digitial story

Week Five: Visual Literacy

This week we discussed the role that visual literacy has on us every day. It is important to keep in mind that what we see is not always what really happened. In the videos we watched, we were able to see how photographers manipulate pictures to get them to be their idea or society's idea of what is beautiful. Sometimes they will add things in or take them out. Other times, they touch up the faces of the people in the photo. The dove evolution video was shocking. At the end, it didn't really even look like the model from the beginning. It makes me wonder why they use models (who are already beautiful in the first place), and then change the way they look. While it is nice to see perfect, flawless pictures of people or setting, sometimes it is better to see what people or places look like naturally. After seeing these videos, I now understand to what extent photographers and advertisers will go to sell their products.

The other video talked about how we are surrounded by visual literacy everyday. Some visual literacy is country- specific, such as brand names, but others are universal like Coke and Starbucks. You can go almost anywhere in the world and be able to find a MacDonalds even if you don't speak the language of the country, because of the symbol of the golden arches which is universal. Without visual literacy, we would be lost. For one thing, driving would be harder because though we don't always realize it, we rely a lot on symbols and road signs to warn us about sudden stops, yielding and merging.

As a teacher, I will need to be able to inform my students about visual literacy. It is important to let them know that pictures are manipulated to portray a certain idea in your mind about where something took place. In the article, it said that students like to see visuals of things that happened in history becuase it gives them more meaning. I will try to provide them with as many pictures and visual examples as possible, but it is important for them to remember that what they see may not always be true.

This is a video that I thought was interesting because it showed how images change over time and through cultures. It talked about how we are bombarded with images every day and sometimes we don;t understand them. Another good point it showed was that 2 different images can be portraying the same thing, but depending on the materials used to create the images, the meanings may be interpreted differently.

Visual Literacy across the Curriculum

Week Four: Copyright Law, Plagiarism, & Ethical Issues (extra post)

This week we learned about copyright laws and what they entail. They are meant to protect authors of any type of material from having their work changed or reproduced without permission. Basically, you shouldn't use anything that is not your own without written permission from an author or company. This applies to any countries that have signed the copyright treaties. You can be punished for as much as $100,000 per offense!!! Things such as calendars, lists of ingredients and slogans are not covered in the laws, and therefore can be used without having to ask permission from anyone. Another interesting thing that I learned is that things are copyrighted for 70 years after the death of the author. Also, depending on when they were copyrighted, they only last for so long before the author either pays a fee to have them copyrighted again and they can be transferred through contracts. Just because you don't see a copyright symbol anywhere doesn't meant that it hasn't been copyrighted. Unless it's a government document or you know that it is public domain, you need to ask the author's permission to use it. There is something called a Fair Use Act that allows special exemptions for libraries and educational uses. There are four factors that are involved: the purpose of the use, whether it's out of print or published, the amount of work used and the effect of the use of the work on a certain audience. Software is always protected and should only be installed on one computer. The is a company called Creative Commons (CC) that allows people to share and use other people's information as long as some attribution is given. It says "some rights reserved" instead of "all rights reserved" and are most common with online products.

This information is important to know, especially as I am a future teacher. Teachers use many different materials and examples, so they need to be aware of what they are allowed to use and make sure that they give credit to the author that they borrowed the information from. They can also teach their own students what the laws are and explain the seriousness of asking permission before using something that may belong to someone else. The most important thing I learned from the presentation was: "When in doubt, ask." It can't hurt and it's better to be safe than sorry.

I thought that this was an interesting clip showing how hard it is in the music industry with all the copyright laws.

Copyright Criminals

Week Four: Copyright Law, Plagiarism, & Ethical Issues

This week we learned how to design instructional media. The four most important points from it were to keep in mind: contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. For contrast, it's nice to provide wither a dark background with lighter font (like a black background with white font) or a light background with dark text (like a white background and black text). Also, if you are using a background with a picture, be sure to use a font that is dark enough to be read over it. For repetition, it's best to keep the same font type, size and backgrounds so that the slides are not too distracting and so that the readers are able to focus on the information presented. Alignment is another factor to think about because it can be distracting too, if text is scattered all over the slides. With titles, proximity is key because if there is not enough space between lines then the text will look squished together and if there is too much space it will be hard to follow.

I also learned that keeping slides simple is best. Word count per slide should be kept to a minimum and fancy fonts should be avoided or used only briefly. Using key words is best, instead of writing out whole sentences and boxes or borders are a good idea when you are trying to organize your thoughts. Anything below 28 font should be avoided because it is harder to read and when you are using graphics, it's best to use simple ones that are self explanatory. If they aren't essential to the presentation though, they should be avoided because they too can be distracting and sometimes too complicated to read unless explained. Also, they shouldn't be used as decoration which goes along with the idea of keeping slides simple. Animations and transitions are alright, but it's important to not overuse them.

Before giving the presentation, it is good to give a brief overview of the topic to engage the learners. After the presentation, it is important to do follow-up activities and relate the information to real world examples. Choose releveant examples, such as video clips, and be sure that you are informing and teaching and not simply entertaining.

This was good advice for future teachers. You always want to make sure that your students are focused on what is being taught and this presentation gave some good ideas about what I should and shouldn't do if I make a presentation to the class. A good point that stuck with me was that, just because it may look or sound fancy doesn't mean that it should be added to the presentation. Simplicty is oftentimes the best way to go.

I also learned about web resources and multimedia. These can also be helpful in the classroom because teachers can accomodate certain material to particualr students. Using this in the classroom is good because it provides a proactive learning environment and encourages students to be creative. While there are many positives about using multimedia in the classroom, there are some limitations. They tend to take up a lot of space and that is not always available in the classroom. Also, projects tend to take a lot of time and the school day doesn't usually allow that much time for them to get finished.

This video clip is interesting because it talks about incorporating technology into the curriculum from a teacher's point of view. They emphasize the importance of having teachers integrate technology because that is the way of the future. While technology is an important part of learning today, it is expensive and there isn't money available at most schools to implement it on a daily basis.

Technology in the Classroom

Week Three: Web technology, 2.0 web applications and copyright laws

This week, we looked up several different 2.0 web applications and chose three to discuss in more detail. The three that I chose were rummble, wizi and thounds. Rummble was a cool application that is very helpful when you're traveling. You just type in your location and it will tell you what there is to do in a certain place and provides you with pictures and recommendations of places and sites. Wisi is another application that has to do with travel. You post your current location and you can send it to your friends so that they can see where you are while you're travelling. It also tells you what the best routes to take are, and gives traffic updates. Thounds is a music application. It allows you to post a song that you have written and then others from around the world can add to it until you have a complete song with singing and a bunch of different instruments!


This is an example of what you can do with the Thounds application. It looks really cool!

Thounds application

We also learned about web 2.0 tools and how the internet as evolved. With web 1.0, people could read information online, but only those who knew the special terms and language of the computer could write. Now, with web 2.0, anyone with very limited knowledge can read and then write online. Web 2.0 has 3 features: user- initiated information, social sharing options that can be controlled to only allow certain people to see what is written, and social networking options where entire internet communities can be built around a specific topic.

There are also different sites such as Ofoto and Flickr that allow people to make photo albums, share pictures and meet people with similar interests. Web blogs are another development that have made it easier to communicate with more people at one time. It's simple to start a blog and people are able to comment on other people's posts. Not only are blogs used with teenagers, but also in the business world between employees and their clients. Also, teachers are starting to use blogs for their students which encourage discussion and allow students to comment on other students' work. Wikis are another useful invention. Wikis are tools such as Wikipedia, where information can be added, edited or deleted by anyone. These changes can still be seen though and people can compare current information to the info that was changed.

Blogs and wikis are very useful in classrooms. As a teacher, I will be able to set up blogs and have students collaborate on projects and discuss topics taught in the classroom. Blogs make it easier to track progress of students and help engage students in learning. While most children nowadays are internet savy, not all use the internet the same way, and some children from poor socioeconomic families may not even have access to computers. This is important to keep in mind because teachers should realize that not everyone will learn best from blogs or know how to use them.

Week Two: Difference between Macs and PCs

This week we learned about some of the major differences between Macs and PCs. The major difference is that Macs are supposed to be more user friendly, which is why many schools across the United States have come to use Macs in the classroom. The design of Macs are different too. The screen and the computer are combined in Macs which saves space. They differ in even the littles details such as the on and off button which can be on the front or the back. Macs have something called a dock which is like the Windows start menu. This is where all the shortcuts and aliases are located. Even closing, minimizing or maximizing something is different because the buttons are color coded, red being to close a window, green to maximize and yellow to minimize. In Windows, you have to click on the safely remove hardware button at the bottom right of the screen when you are taking out a disc or pen drive, but on Macs you drag the item to the "trash" icon where you can then remove the item from the computer. The keyboard and mouse are different as well. Macs have more compressed keys and extra keys on them, and the mice have only one click and the scroller is smaller.

We also watched a video clip about kids growing up online. It talked about how growing up with some many technological tools hasn't always been a good thing. Kids get addicted to computers and spend hours at a time chatting with friends or playing games instead of socializing in person. The article that went along with the video also mentioned cyber bullying which has become a major problem. It has led to some kids being scared of going to school or even comitting suicide.

It is important for me to learn about the differences between a Mac and a PC because Macs are becoming more popular in the classroom and I will need to know how to use if I want to take advantage of the resources that I have to help me teach. It's also important to understand that since our generation has grown up online, we are used to accessing information quickly and many kids no longer have the patience to sit in a classroom and listen to a teacher talk with a blackboard in front of them. Cyber bullying is another issue that is important to know about, because it has an impact on many kids and could be an issue with one of my future students.

I chose this article because it discusses the disadvantages to our generation growing up online. While improvemnets in technology have increased the speed with which we can access information, it is not always a good thing. We are never cut off from our friends whether we are on the computer at our own house or texting them while on vacation and kids are being exposed to too much information too fast.

Growing up too fast

I chose this video because I thought it was really helpful in explaining how to use the dock and certain other features on the Mac that are different than the ones on PCs.

How to navigate the Mac desktop

Week One Course Inroduction: What is education technology?

The first week of class we learned what educational technology is. It is the use of technological tools such as computers, power point and the internet to promote learning. With the technology available today, learning is now possible for almost everyone around the world and if nothing else, has made it much easier to share one's knowledge internationally. Different social networks such as Facebook and blogs have made it much easier to communicate with people in other countries and have changed the way companies interact with their clients.

The advantage of educational technology is that now, teachers are able to teach using many different examples that can cater to individual needs of each student. Ideas and situations can be made more real with the use of these technological tools that can help students visualize things easier. People no longer have to show up to a classroom in order to take a class. Nowadays, people from anywhere can "attend" classes at any university by taking online classes. This is much more convenient and gives people more opportunities to experience things that they may not have had the chance to experience before.

One of the biggest disadvantages is that techonology is expensive. It changes and develops at such a fast rate there is a contant need to have the "latest" item and it may not be possible obtain these things if you work in a company or school that doesn't have the money to do so. Also, technology does not fix all learning problems. The use of technological tools in the classroom may not help kids focus better, and with everything that is available now, students can easily get distracted by going on Facebook when they are supposed to be listening to the teacher.

Technology is important for me since I am an education major. I will need to learn how to use certain tools such as smart boards and most likely Mac computers, since those seem to be common in classrooms today. I will also need to know how to use technology in an efficient way so that my students are getting the most out of their learning experiences. Technology makes it much easier to communicate with others around the world would allow me to organize communication between my class and another class from anywhere in the world, ehcouraging students to interact with each other and learn about other cultues (modern day pen pals!).

I chose this article because it is an example of one disadvantage to technology in the classroom. While having lap tops in class can be nice and effective for looking up information and taking notes, students are oftentimes distracted by Facebook, email and online games. While this article is based in the college classroom, I believe that it could still apply to any age level.

Disadvantage of Technology in Education