Ch 10

The role of a teacher is to prepare students to be successful citizens in the twenty-first century. In chapter 10 of Guiding learning with technology the subject of evaluating the pros and cons of technologies in the classroom arises and is final discussed. Throughout this semester I have been against the majority of the views of this textbook, but over the past few chapters I am starting to agree with a few of their views. Their needs to be evaluation of technology and the necessity of the tools put into classrooms. Technology for technology sake degrades the learning experience. Technology must have a purpose and teachers must understand the pros and cons of how they teach to teach effectively.
Chapter 10 starts with the discussion of calculators in the classroom. This is a favorite of my discussions of the costs of constant computer use in our society. I have often enjoyed asking math professors and math majors one simple question. If you have 180 miles to travel and you are traveling at 60 miles per hour. How long will it take to get to your destination? Almost all will run for their calculators and many fail to answer this question if their calculator is not present. It is just were we have come as Americans.
Why learn how to spell? When there is spell check. Why learn long hand math, when there is a calculator? Why make plans with friends in advance when you have cell phone? I have seen people that communicate best when testing. Then they fall apart when they have to have a face-to-face conversation. Because it makes them nervous, what if they say the wrong thing? It took my entire photography class 10 min to figure out 78/13. I said it was 6 but it took 10 min and a calculator being run twice for them to believe it. But truly when will one be writing without a computer and spell check? When will students not have a calculator? They are on computers, cell phones, and watches. Why slow down and make plans and stick to them when you have a cell phone that allows you to change plans in a split second?
Technology is a powerful tool for society. Progressions in technology have put America as a front leader as a world power. It makes life far more efficient when used properly. But!!! Technology should not supplement technical skill and understanding of the subject matter. Having technical skill in a subject limits the cost as well as the time it takes to perform the task. Tool and technology provides this ability to expedite tasks when in the hands of someone that knows how to use them. Commonly just having the tool doesn’t allow the task to get completed. Bigger and bigger tools have become our way of solving problems. I see this form of problem solving constantly and am guilty of it as well. When faced with a problem we look to get a bigger better tool to solve the issue before we sit back and think about the issue and then problem solve.
Within the next generations born in the twenty-first century it will become necessary to teach student how to think and problem solve and not to just reach for the biggest baddest tool. Students will need to learn how to problem solve. The best way to archive this is have them have a complete understanding of the subject matters that will face them and have them understand where they are intending to go. Give them competence and direction.