Technology in the classroom

Bafile, C. (2010). “Teaching? Learning? There’s an “App” for that!” Retrieved January 24,2012 from www.educationworld.com

Knorr, C. (2012). “Do high-tech toys belong in school?” Retrieved January 24, 2012 from www.commonsensemedia.org

Toppo, G. (2011, September 16). “White House details plans for more digital learning” [Electronic version] USA Today

Summary: The three articles referred to bringing electronics into the classroom and how much technology is a part of our lives today. One of the articles discussed how parents need to discuss with their children about technology use and when it is appropriate to use it while the other two talked about new ways of making learning fun through technology such as games and Ipods.

           

In Bafile’s article it mentions the use of Ipods as a way for students to learn. I was confused as to how Ipods would be used in the class room and how they could relay information to the teacher. I am not fully literate in the use of Ipods, but I feel that the article should have said a bit more about how exactly the Ipods actually worked. From my knowledge of Ipods, they are used to download music and listen to. But besides the use of technology in the class, I really like one of the techniques that was mentioned in the article. It said, “While that might not seem like a big deal, students have told me over and over again that they appreciate having a voice in the work schedule of their day” (Bafile 2010). I think this is a great way get the students to feel important in the class so they can be able to learn better. They might want to do the boring stuff first and then the fun things last so that they have something to look forward to. The teacher probably will organize the class in this order naturally, but the difference would come in what the students and the teacher think are boring or exciting. I feel that student input is very important because they know how they learn the best.

            In the other two articles by Toppo and Knorr, I felt that technology is over taking student learning. Granted that the activities are very engaging and fun, but students are becoming way over stimulated. With all of our technology, students can barely sit still for two minutes because they aren’t doing something interactive. TV, Ipods, computers, video games, etc. are stimulating the brains of children at young ages and they become ADHD later on in life. Focus is hard for most people, myself included. I haven’t been around technology as much as children these days, but it still has an effect on me. Using Ipods in the classroom along with video games is too much and I feel that technology needs to only be used in moderation. With how much technology is being pushed into the classrooms and homes I feel that there are going to be harmful effects that are going to be found soon.