I've had access to technology since an early age. I remember using the family computer around the age of 7. Since then I've mostly used technology as a leisurely activity or for doing schoolwork. I've never seriously considered working with technology or even computers but I did end up with a job at the Office of Information Technology, right here at Montclair State as a student worker. Based on my experiences assisting my peers as well as faculty and staff, I can honestly say the upcoming generations will have a major advantage over us when it comes to using technology efficiently.
Technology is the future and it cannot be avoided, especially if it presents opportunities for students to be educated in new ways. But I'd still rather have an actual book and not an ebook; I have the feeling that is going to change rather quickly.
As for this course, I hope to find out how technology is being integrated into Primary and Secondary school. Most schools don't receive the most up to date or top of the line technologies but I would like to see how the schools that do make the most use of it.
I emphatically agree with you about textbooks. It is a medium that has been around for decades. I think that the textbook will continue to coexist with technology. The advantages of having illustrative textbooks far out weigh the disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between technology based on hardware and technology based on software. This class introduces technology based on software (applications). Web-based applications allow for more users and require less resources.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff! From your job at the Office of Information Technology I can definitely see how future generations will benefit from the increase of technology in their classrooms. Technology can definitely not be avoided, but I would also rather have an actual textbook than an ebook.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeff, I really liked your blog. You are absolutely right that this world is rapidly changing. It is actually scary to think about sometimes. Much like to "space race" in the 1960's where the United States and Russia was competing for the moon. We are now competing with the rest of the world for who will make the next technological break though. I also agree with you 100% that nothing can replace reading an old fashioned text book, not even a eBook!
ReplyDeleteHey Jeff! I myself started using the computer in middle school. I used it mostly for typing, using one or two fingers at most, because I didn't learn how type until High School. In high school I learned to type on a typewriter. It wasn't until my softmore year that I took typing two on a computer. I had only limited experience using the internet at the time, and only when the teacher wasn't watching. It wasn't until coledge that I started using the computer and internet often. And at that time we didn't have wireless laptops available for lease. Getting on a computer here on campus was a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff, it's cool you went to MSU for undergrad (I did as well). You're right about (text)books not being as easily replaceable as we are told. I personally found the math section of the GRE to be particularly grueling because it was on a computer. The margin of error between transferring the problem from medium-to-medium twice certainly took me extra time and made more places for human error--and I've always been a successful math student!
ReplyDelete