Evolution, Not Revolution

When it comes to technology in today’s society there are many different opinions and views that people hold, so why would it be any different in education or in the classroom? There are tons of people today who consider themselves “crackberrys” and there are still believe it or not tons of people who refuse to own a cell phone. Other forms of technology these days include a lot of social networking sites such as facebook or twitter. Some people say it’s an invasion of privacy and others welcome the chance to connect with friends and colleagues. No matter which side one takes each person is entitled to their opinions. As a teacher it is hard to think that young students have or are exposed to many of these social networks and technologies, however after I read Using Technology in the Classroom Today, I seem to understand the role of technology a lot more. When I was in school it was about typing, power point, and research. Today technology can and should be used in so many more areas not only because it can be but because of what it can accomplish. Klopfer states that “it is crucial not only to seek to mitigate this disconnect in order to make these two “worlds” more seamless, but of course also to leverage the power of these emerging technologies for instructional gain” (p. 3). Today teachers need to look at technology and the media and use it to motivate and engage students! For example, almost every high school student and beginning middle schools students are spending their nights on facebook. Instead of banning or judging this teachers must use it as a medium to connect with their students. During a class discussion, a fellow classmate spoke about how he gave his students characters from a story and they created profiles and completed assignments as that character on a facebook page. This is the type of bridge between words that Klopfer is talking about. Teachers need to partake in the beginning of the technological evolution in classrooms and not a revolution to ban it. Learning can only happen (in my opinion at least) when a student is motivated and engaged…thus this is the dawn of a new way of teaching to help students connect and learn through a happy and relatable medium.