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I graduated high school in 2002, the school that I attended only provided computers for a few teachers. The only place for a student to use a computer was the school library. I actually used computers more so in grade school than high school. However, in grade school my computer use was confined to learning how to type. The technological devices that were used by teachers at school were CD players. televisions, and overhead projectors. Besides occasionally using computers in the library for research, the only technology I was able to use in the class room setting was a scientific calculator for math class. As a result of this limited exposure I simply assumed that technology was either not viable in the classroom or was too expensive to implement.

As for my personal use of technology I have had a computer since the ninth grade that had internet access. My first computer connected through dial up and was painfully slow. I mainly used it at the beginning to play games and chat with friends. Teachers never gave me any assignments for homework that required a computer, because most of the kids at my high school did not have their own PC. Once I began preparing to go to college I recognized the multifaceted uses of computers and what time savers they actually were. Throughout the years I have purchased cell phones, but I never use them to go online. Along with cellphones I have purchased other technological devices such as IPods, but I have never put any of them toward an educational use. I do own two lap tops and as a history major they are indispensable when it comes to doing research on primary and secondary sources. I still have had very little computer use in the classroom even at the college level, but as I have said they have been put to great use outside the classroom.

I really like the idea of computers in the classroom. I think schools should do away with textbooks altogether. Kids should be given their own I pads or laptops. I think this would be a good transition for a number of reasons. Kids would be enamored with the I pads so they would probably take them wherever they go which would mean no more kids coming to class without proper reading materials. I pads are also less bulky than books which allows kids to have their books on them at all times. It would also theoretically save the schools money and be good for the environment. Besides their obvious uses as a text book replacement, personal computers allow teachers to more effectively plan lessons for all different types of learners.

Computers or I pads can also save printing costs for teachers, and save them the hassle of having to take their kids to the library to always do research. I also like the idea of having class wikis or blogs that allow the students to participate in crafting lesson plans or classroom rules. In addition, kids who do not have computers at home would benefit the most from having their own individualized computer. This is because we are increasingly becoming a digitally saturated society, and kids that are too poor to have their own devices are falling further and further behind in terms of technological know how. Ensuring that all kids have a computer, lessens the gap between the haves and the have-nots and gives all kids a better chance to be properly prepared for life after school.

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This video shows how fast schools and teaching are changing. It shows that educators need to be willing to constantly evolve their teaching methods in order to stay relevant to their students.

media type="custom" key="20297046" I chose this video because so many kids are enthralled by the idea of the wii. Many kids already own a wii or know how to operate one due to their recent influx into schools and community centers. As of right now the wii is mainly used as an exercise device in schools, but the speaker demonstrated that it holds promise as an interactive whiteboard. Many schools cannot afford interactive whiteboards since they usually cost 2 to 3 thousand dollars, but by hacking a wii remote you can get about “80% of the functionality at 1% of the cost.” I believe that kids would be enthralled with the idea of using a wii remote in the classroom and it could even inspire them to come up with creative uses of the remote during their own time. This video really shows how people can be active users of technology even outside of their intended functions, which as has been mentioned in class is how we should always view the technology that we use. Instead of being passive consumers we need to always look at how we can use technology to suit out own individual needs, wants and desires.

media type="custom" key="20297066" I chose this video because gaming in such a huge part of our culture right now. I have met teens that were almost impossible to talk to because it seemed as if they had no interests, except for video games. This could lead one to think that they were limited in their thinking, but if you truly engaged with them about their video game hobby; they could go on for hours explaining the intricacies of the games they were playing. This video was probably my favorite because it explained why boys struggle at school and offered a solution to the problem. Since video games are such a large part of boy culture, instead of shunning them we should embrace games and look at ways to include them in our curriculum. In a school with numerous computers or where each kid had their own device the possibilities are endless, as to the amount of creative uses that could be put forth by allowing rich gaming experiences in the classroom. Gaming is a growing industry and could be a great career path for students to go down and should be encouraged by teachers at schools that place technology as a high prority.

media type="custom" key="20297078" I chose this video because the title was pretty provocative especially considering the class we are taking and the direction the school system is heading. I also thought the speaker might be interesting based off of the short clip showed in class due to his energy. The clip was pretty interesting, although the speaker seemed to be all over the place in his presentation. The only thing that really stuck out to me was the bit about computers isolating people. It seems as if schools are doing a good job of meeting individual needs with computers, tablets, but are in a way isolating students. More emphasis needs to be placed on using computers in a way that allows for more group use and socialization. I have rarely seen any teachers that use computers in a way that allow for group participation and interaction. Usually computers are reserved for individual use and rarely are they used with cooperation in mind. There are a myriad of ways to use technology to bring students together and to establish a community in and outside the classroom. so, I dn't think they should be seen as a threat to cooperation, but as an enhancement.

media type="custom" key="20297086" This video stood out to me because it looked like it would offer a non-American take on things. All of the other speakers and videos seemed to be Western based and I was simply looking for something that was more diverse. This video was inspiring in a lot of ways, because it was all about letting kids take charge and make meaningful change based off of their own ideas and work ethic. The kids were taught that anything was possible, with a non-jaded mindset, which inspired change in their homes, local communities, and eventually their ideas began to spread across all of India. It was interesting to see how children can be a powerful agent of change, I believe Americans should recognize that children are not incapable of affecting change on a grand scale. With the rise of social media sites such as Facebook it is becoming easier and easier for good ideas to spread. Since children and teens are the biggest consumers and users of such sites it is only natural to assume that when presented with the right information and/or cause kids would be a very valuable resource in changing how our culture thinks. With their energy, idealism, and computer know how, teachers should not have any problems motivating students to make meaningful changes.