When I look at my school and see how it is changing it ways of methods on how to deliver information using technology to the students I like what I see. Our school is about 255 students from K-8. In our school, we have a computer lab with about 25 computers available; there is also a mobile computer lab that holds 24 computers. The French program from grade 5 to 8 is delivered through this mobile lab, using Rosetta stone software, our school also has wireless connection. There is a smartboard in every class from grade 5 to 8 and next year all the classes will have them. Every classroom has a computer for the kids to work on and they all have access to a printer. Students have access to the internet and it easier for them to Google information for their projects than go to the library. I rarely see students in the library working on projects, they are in the computer lab Goggling.
Does this make our students global students, I don’t believe so. The can find anything on the internet from all over the world but it is as easy as typing a few keys words in a search engine and with a little cut and paste they have their projects done. Are these kids retaining any of the information that they are taking off the internet. I don’t believe so, no much anyway, I can’t remember any important information about my grade 10 Napoleon project, what I do remember is being in the library after school trying to get it done for the next day writing out the information straight out of a book that probably has been on the shelf for twenty years. The computers and the technologies that schools are using today are not making better students they are just making it easier for kids to get their assignments done quicker. The internet is unlimited when its comes to information, while the school library is starting to be used as a storage area.
For anybody to be good at what they do, they need to have good fundamentals and practice. I’m a better student today than when I was back in high school and it’s not because of technology it’s because of the basic fundamentals of being able to read and write. It’s working on these skills that have advanced my education, not a computer. Technology has helped me to put together information that has allowed me present my work in more creative ways. Example; I’m using Microsoft word to type this paper, when I’m done; I will send it to you using email. 10 years ago it was a typewriter and snail mail.

Technology has made it more enjoyable when working on projects and assignments. It creates a better way of life. But sticking a child behind a computer and think that this student will perform to their highest capability because of it is naïve. Children learn so much more outside the classroom that we like to give them credit for. Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. If you encourage your kids play sports they will learn the importance of teamwork, respect, integrity. A computer can’t teach you that.
Are computers reshaping our children’s lives, I say yes because we are letting it happen. In a negative way, some parents use technology as a babysitter, I see it too much that kids especially in my community are too involved with their new play stations and computer games. They spend hours playing the same games. Some will say that it’s better than having the run the streets. Parents shouldn’t be scare to let there kids play outside They are more than life than videogames, yes it keeps them out of trouble but it creates a small world for them. Technology can show children the world but kids need to live in it and not through a TV screen. In a positive, technology allows our children to reach their full potential and allows them to get an education that might not be available other wise. Education is not all about English and Math. As Sir Ken Robinson says there are so many exceptional learners in the world but we as a society prevent them from creativity because we think they should be learning something else instead.

Waiting Room

There's nothing I hate more is than to wait, A couple of nights ago I had to go to the outpatients to check out my cough. I knew I was going to be there for a while and that was one of the reasons why I didn't want to go in the first place. There were about 5 people in front of me and I already started to curse in my head about why did I let my wife convince me to come here. There was a TV in the waiting room and of course the receptionist was watching a french movie from back in the 70's. As I looked around in the lounge for something to read all there was lying around was last weeks newspaper and a bunch a Canadian Living Magazines.

At this point, I want to runaway but there is nowhere to go. What is driving me crazy is that I'm going to be here for about 2 hours min and I'm only going to see the doctor for about 3 mins. As I reach in my pocket for some gum I realize that I have my trusty little blackberry, I have no games on it but it was a great opportunity to get some for it. After about 30 min searching for games, I downloaded a trial version of Poker King, At this point I didn't care where I was, my goal for the next little while was to get 10 000 chips so I can play in the WSOP. Before I knew it, the nurse called me in the room and I finally had enough chips to enter the tournament. As expected my visit with the doctor was only minutes but my 2 and a half hour wait to see him in the waiting room felt like nothing compare to previous visits to the outpatients all thanks to my blackberry, my newest form of technology I have in my pocket.

Last Night`s Class

I was a good class, I was surprise about the size of our class. It was interesting to talk about adware, freeware and viruis. I`m always so sketchy about putting my info on the net, How do you know which sites to trust. The only time I put my credit card number on the internet is when I make flight reservations. I`ve use expedia.com to make those arrangements and I just assume that those sites are safe because of the size of the company. I assume that they have the bankroll to buy the software needed to protect my information. I use a website 50megs.com to make my website for my basketball team. I use it because it`s free, I like it, it is very easy to use and if i decide to buy the domain it is cheap. The one thing about it, is i get all kinds of pop-ups on it but that is the price I pay for not paying for it.

I Think facebook is crazy and how people play out their lives on it. I have about 200 people on it and I probably only talk to about 20 of them. I use facebook mostly to look at pics of friends and to be nosy once in a while. I don`t have any personal info on it that people can use against me lol. I actually cancelled my account on it for a while, but after I heard that the information will always be on a server somewhere I decided to put it back on and use it for entertainment purposes only. Facebook trick me about my personal info, making me believe that if I deactivate my account my info would disappear. I will never again sign up to any type of facebook software, classmates or anything like it. I like to keep my personal stuff personal.

Tyler

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is everywhere we look. The kids today are much higher advance than us when it comes to this stuff. In schools today, students use computers for pretty much every subject, even in Phys, Ed. I use a Smart Board with coaching basketball. We view our basketball games on the screen and it allows us to break the game in every aspect. Kids today have ipods, messanger tools, highly interative games where they play against people from all over the world. PSP`s you name it and most kids are into to it. Kids today have to power down to come to school these days. I try to use technology as much as possible in my classroom because students have fun using it. and learning should be fun.

Tyler