Blog Post #6

After watching Wendy Drexler's "The Networked Student," it makes me realize how connected and up to date students are today. They truly do have access to people and information from all over the world and they usually have the skills to know how to access it. Gone are the days of standard paper and pencil classrooms. Classrooms today, no matter what subject, have at least a little bit of technology added to them.

As a future teacher, each lesson I complete for this course makes me realize more and more that I need to stay up to date on the latest technology advancements and how they can be used in my classroom. There may come a day that teachers are not longer needed. But as long as I stay current on new technology and technology education trends, it will help keep me relevant in the classroom. As the video demonstrates, the teacher acts as a guide for many students. If you are a technology illiterate teacher, you lose your usefulness in an every changing world.

This was a wonderful example of how networked students really are these days. They are connected with people all over the world, whether it be for educational or social purposes. As a future social studies teacher, I fully intend to utilize many techniques in my teaching to educate, as well as connect my students to others in the world.

After watching "A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment," I am stuck at how creative and organized it is. This being a new concept to me, I am continuously working on mine.I'm glad to know that for future generations, this is more of a standard practice. I love the idea of being able to do away with so many papers that are typically a standard practice in the classroom. I am looking forward to implementing these practices into my classroom. And it makes me realize I better get busy on mine!

I feel that "The Machine is (Changing) Us," is a wake-up call to show how even though technology and social networks typically bring us together, they also divide us further. There is a disconnection by not having physical interaction, as well as isolating us to our computers and webcams. There is a significant part of individualism that gets lost in this. I feel there is a balance to use technology in a positive way and not lose individualism. Everyone is able to portray themselves as they want without their true self always showing. I also liked the point of how society makes the latest generation crave recognition, typically by means of television, but in a sense, the internet makes this possible. To relate this to education, it seems teachers play a role in this quest for recognition. As future education and teachers, I feel if we are mindful to recognize each student for who they are, and not just as the "same kid in the same class year after year", then we are satisfying their search, as well as doing our job.