It's funny how with time things seem to change so much. We expect more and more different aspects of education to cultivate new experiences for our students and help us emerge as teachers who prepare their students effectively. But what happens to the basic information? What happens to the adult readiness programs that help young people prepare themselves for bills, insurance, budgeting, and other practical endeavors that sometimes produce a stressful response in young people.
I wonder, why then, we don't incorporate education that sets up and prepares students to do things adults do. In senior year, a course should be required to prepare students for life and all of the technologies that they will be expected to know in order to survive. Students should know how to apply for car and health insurance, the different methods of insuring yourself or a car....why it is important to care for your property...the differences in owning and buying a house, etc.
I feel as thought tech ed could lend its' hand into the production of a course that begged to answer these questions; how can we produce students who know how to complete the basics that life demands from us? How can we prepare students who are more aware the ramifications of selecting a doctor or a lawyer to represent you?
My thoughts this week are directed towards using technology education for life readiness....now I just need some ideas on how to do this...
Monday, November 18, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Education is for Everyone
NPR Expounds on Adult Education
I don't know that I realized this blog would turn into an article review, but I have come to really enjoy reading a new education/technology article every week and expounding on something different each week.
1) I love NPR and rarely disagree with much that is presented on it.
2) This article makes a lot of practical and applicable sense.
It is amazing that a country like the United States could have so many people who can't read or write proficiently. I simply don't understand it. I know that when people come from another country it is difficult for them work and support themselves and get an education at the same time. I commend the people that are able to do both; but with a family to support; how can we expect people to do this?
This article makes an obvious point that I had never thought about until now; when education fails a student who drops out or is unjustifiably pushed through the system; we create more work for ourselves in the end. We great a society that is unable to find work and therefore puts a bigger strain on the economy. This article also discusses that education reduces the likelihood that a student will end up in prison. The number if prisoners also effects the economy and the amount of strain that we all feel for those who are unable to work or support themselves.
The drop in funding to these programs (government spending on adult ed has dropped 17% since 2002 quotes the article) effects the technology that is readily available to these adults as well. I think about on a daily basis the technology I use as a literate person:
1) Cellphone
2) Multiple operating systems: PC and Macintosh
3) Microsoft Applications; Publisher, Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.
4) A copy machine
5) A Smart Board
6) An iPad
Each of those technologies need someone to be able to have a hands on experience to understand. In cutting funding for adult ed, our students who need to be able to join the workforce the most are denied access to the things they need to be equipped to work and study as they should.
The literacy partners focus on the importance of educating parents in order to help students become more at ease with their literacy problems as well as stopping the cycle of illiteracy in their own family. I feel like we really need to focus on continuing adult education. We shouldn't have anyone in our country who can't read or dropped out of high school completely; we should have a goal of enabling the future of our country to help students of all ages.
I like NPR articles because their articles always end up with an uplifting story; a young man learns to read and then is able to have a more fulfilling life for himself and even make more money. Think of all of the opportunities we are closing off when we cut off funding for these programs and the technologies they need to produce adults who are literate, learned, and tech savvy!
I don't know that I realized this blog would turn into an article review, but I have come to really enjoy reading a new education/technology article every week and expounding on something different each week.
1) I love NPR and rarely disagree with much that is presented on it.
2) This article makes a lot of practical and applicable sense.
It is amazing that a country like the United States could have so many people who can't read or write proficiently. I simply don't understand it. I know that when people come from another country it is difficult for them work and support themselves and get an education at the same time. I commend the people that are able to do both; but with a family to support; how can we expect people to do this?
This article makes an obvious point that I had never thought about until now; when education fails a student who drops out or is unjustifiably pushed through the system; we create more work for ourselves in the end. We great a society that is unable to find work and therefore puts a bigger strain on the economy. This article also discusses that education reduces the likelihood that a student will end up in prison. The number if prisoners also effects the economy and the amount of strain that we all feel for those who are unable to work or support themselves.
The drop in funding to these programs (government spending on adult ed has dropped 17% since 2002 quotes the article) effects the technology that is readily available to these adults as well. I think about on a daily basis the technology I use as a literate person:
1) Cellphone
2) Multiple operating systems: PC and Macintosh
3) Microsoft Applications; Publisher, Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.
4) A copy machine
5) A Smart Board
6) An iPad
Each of those technologies need someone to be able to have a hands on experience to understand. In cutting funding for adult ed, our students who need to be able to join the workforce the most are denied access to the things they need to be equipped to work and study as they should.
The literacy partners focus on the importance of educating parents in order to help students become more at ease with their literacy problems as well as stopping the cycle of illiteracy in their own family. I feel like we really need to focus on continuing adult education. We shouldn't have anyone in our country who can't read or dropped out of high school completely; we should have a goal of enabling the future of our country to help students of all ages.
I like NPR articles because their articles always end up with an uplifting story; a young man learns to read and then is able to have a more fulfilling life for himself and even make more money. Think of all of the opportunities we are closing off when we cut off funding for these programs and the technologies they need to produce adults who are literate, learned, and tech savvy!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Refurbished but Not Replaced
Check out the Huffington Post's Article HERE on Technology Replacing Teachers....
It's funny, I've never really thought about technology taking over my job or replacing my position. I've heard of people working at cyber schools and being more than happy with that position, and I think it's great! Many students thrive in places like cyber school for many different reasons. I think of young men and young women who are showing on the "A" circuit riding; cyber school has enabled them to follow their dreams and finish their education simultaneously.
In this article, we hear, "Personalized tech-infused learning is the future of education," - and it's true! Think about differentiation...technology produces teachers who use apps to promote student learning and choice. I feel like with differentiation we often think about just different ability levels; and that's not right! I think the key to remembering how to use technology for different levels of learning is remembering that differentiation is not just about ability levels but different areas of interest and learning styles. For instance, many learners have issues with producing work when it is not displayed visually somewhere, i.e. the differences between auditory learning, visual learning and so or and so forth. I think that technology won't replace teachers because we are the ones that know our students personalities and abilities more than a test on a computer. However, this doesn't mean we should exclude technology from our classrooms because of fear it will take-over us! We have to be open to sharing our thoughts and using it to the best of its' advantage.
I thought this article was also interesting because it talked about the different opportunities of technology not changing the role of the teacher (necessarily). Maybe I am taking this out of context, but my role changes depending on what I have to offer my students. For instance, students can't be completely unaware of the importance of having found new ideas through their own accord, but they also need to learn how to USE this technology, which can be challenging and taxing for all depending on the situations that arise in the classroom. I feel as thought it is critical to give students time to understand and review the tools they have so they are able to make the best decisions for what kind of technology to use when.
I feel like this article is a bit slanted and doesn't always include the formulation of the us vs. them mentality that is produced through this article's deviation in technology vs. the people; this is not iRobot people, we are all on the same page!
It's funny, I've never really thought about technology taking over my job or replacing my position. I've heard of people working at cyber schools and being more than happy with that position, and I think it's great! Many students thrive in places like cyber school for many different reasons. I think of young men and young women who are showing on the "A" circuit riding; cyber school has enabled them to follow their dreams and finish their education simultaneously.
In this article, we hear, "Personalized tech-infused learning is the future of education," - and it's true! Think about differentiation...technology produces teachers who use apps to promote student learning and choice. I feel like with differentiation we often think about just different ability levels; and that's not right! I think the key to remembering how to use technology for different levels of learning is remembering that differentiation is not just about ability levels but different areas of interest and learning styles. For instance, many learners have issues with producing work when it is not displayed visually somewhere, i.e. the differences between auditory learning, visual learning and so or and so forth. I think that technology won't replace teachers because we are the ones that know our students personalities and abilities more than a test on a computer. However, this doesn't mean we should exclude technology from our classrooms because of fear it will take-over us! We have to be open to sharing our thoughts and using it to the best of its' advantage.
I thought this article was also interesting because it talked about the different opportunities of technology not changing the role of the teacher (necessarily). Maybe I am taking this out of context, but my role changes depending on what I have to offer my students. For instance, students can't be completely unaware of the importance of having found new ideas through their own accord, but they also need to learn how to USE this technology, which can be challenging and taxing for all depending on the situations that arise in the classroom. I feel as thought it is critical to give students time to understand and review the tools they have so they are able to make the best decisions for what kind of technology to use when.
I feel like this article is a bit slanted and doesn't always include the formulation of the us vs. them mentality that is produced through this article's deviation in technology vs. the people; this is not iRobot people, we are all on the same page!
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