Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Growing Up Online

Honestly, this video scared me. I'm not blind to the fact that students are now growing up in a technological age, but at the same time I feel that technology should only be used to enhance what the teachers are teaching not replace them. The two teachers they showed I felt were at opposite ends of the spectrum. The male teacher felt students needed to be almost entertained to engage them in the learning process. I totally disagree. If you go through all this work to have your students sit there and be "entertained" how are they ever going to be beneficial in society one day? On the other end, a female teacher who had been working for 30 years steered clear of using technology in her classroom. I disagree with that as well. It's about finding the right balance between incorporating technology into the classroom environment.

The images that stuck most with me from the video was of the girl with the eating disorder and of the young boy who committed suicide because of cyber bullying. I have no tolerance for people being mean to others, you never know how the words that you can say (or type) to someone else will affect them. I would make it my mission to instill into my students the idea that you don't have to get along or like everyone, but you will respect everyone. I would make sure to inform my students' parents the dangers that can be found within a computer. However, it doesn't have to come to that if parents begin open and honest relationships with their children about the proper uses of technology. By teaching our youth proper technology etiquette, we might not have to worry as much about the many threats that are posed and instead reap the benefits.

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