Last week I watched Mr. Winkle Wakes. He reminded me a lot of my grandmother. The only difference between the two is that she was here and awake the whole time. He visited a business office, a hospital, and finally ended up at a school. My grandmother has the thought process of Mr. Winkle. She believes that the school house is the only place that has not dramatically changed. Unfortunately for Mr. Winkle, I plan to be a teacher that changes with the times. I want to have smart boards, elmos, projection screens, etc.
These days students use all types of technology for school. Many high schools have even started using blogs and twitter as sources of communication. Technology seems like it’s in a blossoming state. I have a droid cell phone. My two year olds already can use my phone and my ipod better than the majority of adults. They are growing up in the hands of technology.
Mr. Winkle was enjoyable to watch. There was such irony in the story. Our education system has not changed over such a long time. I like the emphasis on neat rows. Many teachers don't think about how it affects communication in the classroom. Also, how some classrooms are so repetitive. Many older educators find technology threatening. They prefer students do a worksheet or just complete the end of the chapter selection.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how bright children are today? It says a lot that technology is so accessible that even a 2 year old is able to use it with ease. Students should have the same access. There is so much that can be gained from having open learning available to our children. Sugata Mitra had the right idea to let the internet loose for learning among children. I became so curious as to how it would effect learning for the average American child that I tried it at home. I purchased a netbook for my daughter and bookmarked more than 30 educational fun learning sites. She has explored learning on her own every chance she gets. The Department of Education should explore the use of computers as a mandatory part of the elementary curriculum.