Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today I was bewildered my first day of college. "If students learn what they do..What are they learning sitting here?" Sitting through lecture everyday is boring. I'm the type of person who has to be engaged in an activity that holds my attention. I have friends who do not attend classes, because the instructor reads straight from the book or from a PowerPoint presentation each class period. I also have a friend who pays for her classes and misses excessively with no excuse. When it comes to sleep, I may get 7 hours each night. The video illustrated that students must be multi-taskers, because what they do in one day would take 26.5 hours if they weren't doing more than one thing at a time. It was shocking to see this fact.I think that class size and familiarity depends on the department of study. While Biology, Chemistry, and introductory level courses, such as psychology have class sizes up to 115, Upper level English courses and Education classes remain small. Most usually have around 20 students. and instructors make an effort to learn your name.
As mentioned in the video,I agree that most textbooks required remain unused.This would be one of the many contributions to student debt upon graduation. As illustrated in the video, I too will be in debt when I graduate. I think it would safe to say that $20,000 is the average amount owed in student loans after graduation.
"It's Not About the Technology" By Kelly Hines In Hines' article, she stress that technologies will not be effective vehicles for instruction without a change in mindset. She outlines four important techniques for "impacting students in a new generation of learning".
1). "Teachers must also be learners"!
It is imperative that educators stay up to date on current trends, research, and educational tools. This is a great way for teachers to be able to relate to their students.
2). "Learning and Teaching are not the same".
Learning will not look the same to all students nor will it for teachers, but as a whole, it must be the central goal! All students are unique in the ways in which they study, test, and learn. Teachers must take time to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of his/her students, so that the overall goal of learning is successful.
3). "Teaching is useless without good teaching".
Teachers must be willing to innovate. Supplying teachers with tools that they are not willing to utilize is wasting time and money that could be used in other departments. Schools must ensure that teachers have proper training and are willing to use technology to better education. If these measures are not taken then the technology place in the classrooms is useless.
4). "Be a 21st Century teacher without the technology"
Hines states, "students with the capacity to be creative and imaginative will be prepared for the future". While it is great for students to embrace their creativity and imagination, it is not always a sure thing. I do agree that critical thinking and problem solving skills facilitate greater learning and can be utilized with little technology, but students who enter college need to know how to use technology effectively in order to succeed.
Is it okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? This blog posted by Karl Fisch stresses the importance of technologically capable teachers. He makes his point especially clear when he compares the ability to read and write with technology in today's society. Schools would not hire teachers who were illiterate, so why should they hire teachers who know nothing about technology. Simple use of pen and paper has become restricting in the 21rst century. Students need to be equipped with other tools. Teachers who are trained to properly utilize technology in the classroom are able to stimulate and assist their students in new ways.
Classes like EDM 310 could help students of all ages to broaden their knowledge and outlook on learning. Students who are able to blog, and make videos have an opportunity to share their knowledge with other students. Technology serves as a vehicle to share ideas, thoughts, and new perspectives. It is also important to note that all students learn differently. Activities such as these allow students to embrace their creativity while gaining new skills. If teachers are unable to assist students with this knowledge they may unfortunately be left behind.
Social Media Count This is very interesting! It is evident that technology is key to communication in today's society. It would only be beneficial for teachers to embrace this technology. Twitter, facebook, skype, and other social networks are great ways to connect with parents and relate to students. As mentioned above, technology allows students to channel their creativity while sharing knowledge.
Is it okay to Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher? This blog posted by Karl Fisch stresses the importance of technologically capable teachers. He makes his point especially clear when he compares the ability to read and write with technology in today's society. Schools would not hire teachers who were illiterate, so why should they hire teachers who know nothing about technology. Simple use of pen and paper has become restricting in the 21rst century. Students need to be equipped with other tools. Teachers who are trained to properly utilize technology in the classroom are able to stimulate and assist their students in new ways.
Classes like EDM 310 could help students of all ages to broaden their knowledge and outlook on learning. Students who are able to blog, and make videos have an opportunity to share their knowledge with other students. Technology serves as a vehicle to share ideas, thoughts, and new perspectives. It is also important to note that all students learn differently. Activities such as these allow students to embrace their creativity while gaining new skills. If teachers are unable to assist students with this knowledge they may unfortunately be left behind.
Social Media Count This is very interesting! It is evident that technology is key to communication in today's society. It would only be beneficial for teachers to embrace this technology. Twitter, facebook, skype, and other social networks are great ways to connect with parents and relate to students. As mentioned above, technology allows students to channel their creativity while sharing knowledge.
"...the instructor reads straight from the book or from a PowerPoint presentation each class period. " Maybe the teachers think that students can't read or won't read. But then it may be that the teachers do not think at all, they merely play their songs like a wound up toy would do. What is to be done about this?
ReplyDeleteThe best critique yet of Hines' argument! Well done!
Well written. Well argued!
I know exactly what you mean about teachers simply reading from the PowePoints. It can get frustrating at times. And thankfully, class sizes aren’t so big once we are out of the introductory classes. I’m in one class right now with only ten people! For the next topic, I agree with you on all four points. Teachers should learn how to use the latest technology, and then apply it to their lessons. You are right that technology helps students be creative with their work and show their talents. Great post!
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