Prompt #3

There have been several technology changes and updates as I have progressed through the school system. When I was in kindergarten through third grade we had green chalk boards in all of the class rooms. This was messy because the chalk dust would get on clothing and all over the floor around the ledge for the chalk. My fourth grade class was when the whiteboards were introduced to my school. I had whiteboards up until my sophomore year in high school. I remember my teacher being so excited for the new whiteboards because of the different colors she could use and how there was no longer a chalk dust issue. Up until my eighth grade year we had projectors that were on carts that the teacher would roll around in front of the screen then write on laminate sheets for notes. In my eighth grade class, my teacher bought a camera projector which allowed the teacher to use any sheet of paper and have it projected up on the screen because a video camera was connected up to the projector. When I was a sophomore Smart Boards were placed on top of all the white boards in every class room in the high school. A lot of the older teachers struggled with using the technology and the students ended up helping them out. The younger teachers really enjoyed using the Smart Board and all of its features because they told us they had used Smart Boards during their student teaching and really liked the interactive features on them. Another technology change was that when I was in the lower end of elementary school, we had the giant TVs on carts that were wheeled around to different classrooms whenever teachers needed to show a video. During my fifth grade year, projectors from the ceiling were placed in every classroom. Teachers now could use the projectors to show videos, so the TVs were outdated.

Prompt #2

In today's world children are born into a life of technology. It is important for children to learn and experience technology while at school so they can understand how it works and to learn about the consequences that come with it. Children use technology all the time at home so this is why it is important to use technology in the classroom. Instructors can keep them engaged into the activity and students can take information they learned from the class lesson home, and use it on a day to day basis. Some lesson plans include: creating a virtual classroom, having pen pals from another country, working on group projects utilizing a website that allows all the students within the group to communicate and create and work on the same online document. Social media plays a huge role in today's society. More and more social networking sites are being created. Students need to be taught in schools the positive outcomes of using the social networking sites and also the consequences of social media. Students need to know that social media is a helpful tool when connecting and sharing ideas with people around the world. Social media becomes a problem when people start abusing it and posting inappropriate and unwanted information. I think including technology and the knowledge of technology is important because it will effect the lives of all current students. Because technology is our future, students must be taught today using as much technology exposure as possible.

Prompt #1

After viewing the two YouTube videos, "Did You Know" and "Pay Attention", I was in shock of how much technology is a part of our lives. As we progress through the years, people become more and more dependent on technology to solve daily problems in life. I thought the United States was always the leading country or close to the top when it came to technology statistics. After viewing these videos, it opened my mind up to all of the possibilities of what could come next with the whole world advancing so fast so quickly.  Now as children are being raised with technology all around them, it makes sense that teaching strategies have to also be technology focused in order to grasp the attention of the students. If a child has the capabilities to access technology at home, in the car, on vacations, of course they need to be taught using technology and how to create by using technology.