Readings from Week April 9-13

Wow! I have mixed feelings. I think computers are a great tool and very beneficial especially with all the interactive educational sites. Example - a student can see how sin and cosine work together on a math site or how one variable will affect another variable or how one variable is dependent on another. A student can find answers and information so much quicker than the way research was done twenty years ago. A student can get help with homework instead of waiting until the next day. This is all great; however, students need to be taught how to find accurate information and how to weed through unworthy sites. Students need to use the computer for school work instead of chatting with friends and playing games. This is O.K. to a point, students will need self discipline, I guess just like anything else.

It is worrisome that teachers are not using more technology in the classrooms. This means, teachers need to change old teaching habits. However, I am struggling with dropping all textbooks for laptops. It is hard to keep all students on task and I sometimes think even harder when they have a laptop in front of them. I have seen college professors having to tell college students to close the computers. I have had teachers take points away from my teachings because not all students were on task when I have used laptops in my teachings, even if 19 out of 20 were on task. Not a good argument for not using computers, I think the kids greatly benefit from doing different activities on the computer. I don't have the answer, we are living in the 21st century. What if , people years ago said we don't need books, people can tell you the information? I personally think books should not be totally eliminated like at some schools but some could be eliminated. I also think students need to communicate verbally as well as written. I personally enjoy using a book occasionally for a change instead of staring at a computer screen.