Activity 20, Task 1

This task involved reading an article proposing the banning of pencils in school. I had seen the article before and find that I still feel the way that I did when first exposed. Technology and Pandora's box have been opened, and - to continue to mix metaphors - you aren't going to get the genie back in the bottle. The amount of information that is available in the blink of an eye is staggering and extremely powerful.

That being said, I also see a tremendous opportunity for abuse. Lately, inappropriate pictures being sent over the phone stories are popping up in the media. Students who are supposed to be working on an assignment are updating their Facebook pages. Text messages are sent to set up a rendezvous during class time. I would like to think that this is only a minority, but is it?

So, where do I stand with technology in my classroom? I have been attempting to incorporate more use of Internet and PowerPoint with my students, and Mrs. Bomboy and I are refining a unit to be more of a web quest. I've already made a commitment to myself that I need to redo/refine some of my older sites and assignments. I do think that MP3 players have their place, but they should not be played to the point that the sound is audible to others - let's try and keep some hearing for this generation. I may eat my words - won't be the first time - I don't see that phones are necessary at this point in class. And, I absolutely love it when a student figures out how to do something and then can show me (Shout out to Sarah!).

Who was it that said the only person who likes change is a baby?

Make it a great day!