With just one decade into the 21st century, it seems the educational community is beginning to adopt technology as a vehicle for teaching and learning. Read the following articles and respond in the comments section:
6 Lessons One Campus Learned About E-Textbooks
http://chronicle.com/article/6-Lessons-One-Campus-Learne/44440/
iPhones to go to front of the class at Texas university
http://www.macworld.com/article/136019/2008/10/abilene_iphone.html
Missouri journalism students required to buy iPhone or iPod touch?
http://www.macworld.com/article/140522/2009/05/missouri_journalism.html
In the comments section, consider the information contained in the articles and answer the following questions:
1) What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
2) Should this technology be required or optional?
3) Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
4) What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
Deadline to comment is Thursday, 10/01/2009, 11:59am
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ReplyDelete1) A basic computer capable of running the applications needing for note taking of lectures, but does not disrupt the class with gadgetry or noises repeatedly. A projection system within the classroom would be nice to allow presentations and demonstration videos to be shown as part of the lecture in all subjects. Compact devices for the student to participate within the same capacity is not unreasonable.
ReplyDelete2) Beyond the need to communicate and interact with the instructor/professor, these items should be optional for the student and incorporated within the classroom where appropriate and manageable at college level. For lower levels of education, ninth graders and up should have structured access to prepare for the levels of usage in college for those preparatory classes consistent with college level courses.
3) Students without this technology should only be burdened with developing time management skills as it pertained to out-of-class needs for homework. Thus, students with such problems would need to discuss such matters properly and appropriately with faculty and staff.
4) I think changes in costs, organization, and delivery should be structured to allow more undergraduate students access directly out of high school. The issue of providing secondary education would change towards the needed skills for new members and roles of society. Plus, scalability factors evolving in methods of delivery demand serious considerations that a student may take every aspect of their courses from home in a post-modern form of correspondence school.
From being a current iPhone owner, I don't think that something like it should be necessary tool for the classroom only because mine provides far more of a distraction than benefit while I am in class, but then again if this was something that was required and utilized by the professor throughout class it may actually provide some type of benefit, I guess I don't not really know. But for now I feel that something like we currently use which is that you need to have access to a computer at least once throughout you day is really all this is necessary. And having the option to not buy a computer and go to the library should be your choice as a student. In this case the option to buy it is optional and no student is at any real disadvantage. I do think that in the future there will be many campuses that adopt all different kinds of technology but I also think until there is a way of providing it without putting student at a disadvantage who cannot afford it there will be a problem.
ReplyDelete1) I think that “classroom learning” these days can imply multiple definitions depending on the educational institution and desires to launch electronic dependency and lesson the importance of a teacher/professor. …iPhones don’t appeal to me as I’d need a course to learn its features before accepting if it can become an electronic educational assistant or tool. Phones nowadays are “small for the eyes and hands” in trying to produce work.
ReplyDeleteAs a baby boomer, I found the “laptop for me was a voluntary and useful investment”, comfortable keeping in step both inside and outside a classroom, still utilizing a textbook, and still benefitting from interaction with students and instructor. Also, my fingers would be able to fit on the keyboard. Outlets in classrooms (for laptops) are at a premium which causes limitations.
Also, when a school provides computers, the keyboards are additional germ nests where we have to be keenly aware to keep washing our hands (frequently using antibacterials on equipment) during flu season Even Sanjay Gupta (CNN Neurologist) caught the Swine Flu probably from reporting about it within it while protecting himself.
2) I think this technology should be “optional, especially E-Textbooks”. It takes time to evolve. It took the Internet about 25 years to get where we are today. E-Textbooks can possibly prevent certain people (older, financially strapped w/economy, health-care challenged) who want to return to school voluntarily (while working or not). It seems that the younger generation was practically weened on technology in elementary/middle/h.s. environments. However, E-Textbooks are totally different. It seems to take away the human component of the teacher… The E-Textbooks from what I read are not completely refined, and it’s different reading off a computer than paper. What if a person wants to print? They will have to pay extra for ink, paper, printer maintenance? Does the student get to own the E-Textbook? Does the bulk of information transfer from E-Textbooks into data files—touching the brain briefly yet bypassing the brain in the long run (resting into the datafile), everything is dealt with in abstract? It seems like a way to eliminate teachers and educational overhead.
3) Many people are in different financial situations. Computers are expensive. Not everybody owns the same devices—or if everyone is to convert to E-Textooks there will be hidden expenses, there always is. If students cannot afford this technology or are more right-brained, it can become a financial and/or learning liability.
4) Colleges have embraced computer technology without a doubt. It will become more and more prominent, it looks good and sounds good. My concern is that all this technology vaporizes the human component. The electronically oriented instructor is teaching less and less and yet loading more and more assignments. Will instructors become obsolete? Teachers used to be role models and interaction with student could help in many ways.
The iPhone, the E-Textbook could replace classrooms where people meet. I’ve taken WebCourses where people “meet” and interact, give answers they would not normally write because it was behind a computer (because I was in face-to-face classes with same students….when “talking” in the computer everyone is wearing “sunglasses”, it’s odd.). The human component becomes less important. People become technologically aggressive, driven by the wheels of technology not realizing that humanity isn’t being taught nor integrated, with this technology push. Do the people that invent further technology survey and test end-users from diverse pools—asking these questions, the “what ifs”, “what will end-users think”? Technology preoccupies people away from people (in the tangible sense). Ideally I hope the future can embrace the best of technology without lessening the integrity of people and humanity.
Lisa Beni
In my view the best way to supplement education is via the web. The abilities of the I-phone are endless because it is able to acess the web. It can be used to access web documents giving it an aray of materials to be utilized in education, as well as access to a school database. An ipone can be used to watch videos supplementing the face to face instruction and has the capacity be used wherever its owner sees fit.
ReplyDeleteThe owner must see fit to want to supplement this education experience and have the choose to supplement it. I believe that to some students the old way is the best way and as educators the goal is never to impede a students learning and always support there education.
The price should not be an issue if a device such as this is going to implemented it needs to be paid for by the government. You can not justify requiring the purchase of a two hundred dollar iphone. It would definitely be a disadvantage otherwise.
In the future this advance in technology will show the fastest uprising in colleges. Already you can get a degree online without ever stepping into a classroom. More teachers are beginning to take advantage of this technology realizing the education tool it can be when used appropriately.
1) Web enabled laptop devices and mobile phones are particularly useful for researching on the jump an accessing information instantly. It also provides a forum from which student can inquire and submit questions or assingments. This is particularly useful since the pace of school is changing and the paper less school setting is the future.
ReplyDelete2) For the time being it should be optional because not all students have the means or the know-how. It'll make the learning environment that much more foreign to them, I think they should be eased into it.
3) The students who have the means and the ability to function under such educational methods will certainly have certain benefits such as instant response, extended contact with instructors and the availability of information. Others are left with the methods that have been used since such institutions have existed.
4) I think the mobile generation would benefit from such a medium of distribution. This way it becomes more intergrated into their daily lives and are more compelled to divulge into their schooling.
I think any mobile or ultra-mobile technologies are quite useful in supplementing classroom learning. I have, unfortunately, not availed myself to these particular technologies as of yet, but everyday I see more and more how prevalent and advantageous they truly are. If you want to go study where it is not too loud and in the fresh air, you are no longer confined to where you need to be cabled to an internet connection. I find that portability is now a necessity for students, and on these technologies you can take entire libraries and basically all the information in this world with you wherever you go.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn’t be that you are required to purchase a particular device, but you should be required to purchase a device, whether it is a laptop or hand-held device. They are both relatively the same price, unless you want the upgrades, and then the laptop can get quite expensive. Although it might be a large upfront cost, the long-term benefits vastly outweigh the initial price. It is just another factor you have to consider when going to college.
The students who cannot afford this technology only would be at a disadvantage if the professors utilize the device in class. I believe that in the near future that no hand-written assignments will be taken anymore. Only over an internet site similar to webcourses or straight to email.
There really is no need for paper in most classes anymore, except computational classes where work matters. As professors put their notes online, and allow students to access them, and students can take their notes on their computer, paper becomes irrelevant. I fully expect and am waiting for the time when paper assignments will no longer be accepted. I think this allows for better resource management by departments of universities and colleges, makes it easier for professors to maintain the writings and reports and such, and it makes it harder for students to commit plagiarism.
1) Computers, specifically laptops, are very useful in taking notes in class and many now have microphones built in so they can be used to record lectures as well. I imagine that iPhones could accomplish the same thing but are so small that it seems it might make things more complicated. The projectors we use today to view things such as Power Points and videos have become very handy instead of using old projectors with notes typed on transparent sheets.
ReplyDelete2) I think these things should be optional. I still find it effective taking notes the old-fashioned way, by writing things down on paper. As far as iPhones go I definitely think those should be optional as well. I think it would be ridiculous to make something like that required.
3) Students unable to afford these things may or may not be at a disadvantage. Though they may not be able to afford a laptop or computer of their own they can use computer labs around campus to type up notes written in class.
4) In the future I see more multimedia being used. We already have so many different ways of communicating information, such as the internet and through television. Things like the iPhone could very well become a common education tool as well.
My favorite technology for supplementing classes was the use of a smart board with recorded classes. The instructor wrote notes on the board, it was shown on the screen and recorded in the class recording. When you were studying, you could log-on access that particular class and the image would show the instructor with sound with the images of the notes he took on the smart board. It was amazing. Yes, it could be used for if you missed class. But there were quizzes given every class for that reason. It was less frustrating when you couldn't quite remember what they said because you were too busy taking notes. I think a laptop is instrumental and necessary as all library computers, at many campuses and colleges, are always taken. But at this point, I think that is understood.
ReplyDeleteI think there is something to be said about having a book and taking notes. It's too easy to know that the information is there and all you have to do is read. Many of us are multi-dimensional learners and writing notes is just another neural trace. I think when we read some information on the computer or any electronic device, we tend to skim information and treat information as less important because we can always access the information. Too much technology is not teaching people to think. That is part of our curriculum, too. To think, not just learn how to access information. No, it should not be required unless every instructor in every class uses the technology, then no. It's not like a calculator for a math class. Calculators don't replace books. This would be replacing books. There are too many teachers with too many styles and you have to take so many different types of classes with different requirements.
Of course, students without the technology would be at a disadvantage. If teachers are requiring the technology, they are basing their lessons on the technology and the students would be trying to learn from a traditional standpoint and the teachers wouldn't be teaching to them.
I think it is an all or nothing deal. I think instructors should have the new technology and the students should learn from that in the classroom. Students need to learn how to think and how technology works, but shouldn't required to learn gadgets. College is difficult enough on it's own with social and educational learning environments. I think this is too much.
I think that the most useful technology inside the classrooms in a laptop. Computers these days have everything and you can figure out an answer to any question in seconds. Having laptop should not be required. I don’t think that anything should be required mainly because there are differences in everybody’s financial battles. I paid 1300 dollars for my MAC laptop. It took me months to save up in order to be able to afford this piece of technology. If UCF would of required my to buy one of these freshman year I would not of been able to acquire on for at least six months of working and saving money. If students cannot afford a laptop I don’t think that they would be in a position of disadvantage. I am a firm believer in old fashion, sitting down and opening your textbook, sitting for hours and reading. You don’t need a fancy computer in order to learn, so no one will be at a disadvantage. The students with a laptop will be at an advantage because they can find the information faster. I don’t know what the future hold for our schools, but I hope its not what some of the colleges are doing in the articles we read, requiring an Iphone. I have an iphone and it is not as fast as one would think. Plus, if schools require all students to get a laptop and or Iphone the network would be very slow because thousands of students will be using it at once. Thus, would result in schools having to spend more money on there internet services. I think technology is a good idea, but I believe there is a better ways to go about it then requiring students to buy an Iphone.
ReplyDeleteI think that the use of e-books is a great idea in theory but needs more work for it to be a fully functioning system. Using electronic books will cut down the amount of paper used to print books which will help the environment in the long run. I personally know that I have purchased several books for class that are sitting and collecting dust in my closet. This is a terrible waste of resources. Digital copies of books would also be cheaper for students. This would be wonderful considering that college is already expensive enough without the addition of hundreds of dollars spent on texts. The problem is that current electronic readers are poorly made and many only support black and white making many diagrams and charts more difficult to represent or in some cases impossible. I think that technology is at a point where laptops are getting better and better each day and soon the advantages of the small readers with better battery life and easy portability will be won out by newer netbooks supporting more functionality.
ReplyDeleteAnother great technology is the use of an iPhone or iPod Touch. These are great tools that can be used in many different applications as seen at several universities currently testing them. Many people criticize this by saying they shouldn't be forced into one company's technology. I say deal with it. You don't need to use it for personal use only for classroom activities and educational purposes. You can get what you want for your own time.
As for making these tools mandatory I say yes for the iPhone / iPod Touch but no for the e-books. If a student still wants the print copy of a textbook then let them buy it but offer the digital version to those that wish to have it. Incorporating the iPhone / iPod into the classroom would require that all students have one for things to run smoothly. Many say that this is expensive for the student and while I somewhat agree it is an excellent opportunity to revolutionize the education experience. The cheapest iPod Touch is only $199 which by college standards is fairly cheap considering the price of tuition, room and board, and other expenses. I think students should look at it as a way of investing in their future.
Looking towards the future I see many more universities jumping on the bandwagon to adopt their own new educational tools. If all goes well at the universities that are currently testing the iPhone / iPod applications I think that will spread rapidly. I also feel that online education will continue to grow as more and more people take classes remotely. It offers greater flexibility for scheduling and also allows students to take courses where they previously could not because of geographic limitations. I believe that we are all growing closer as we become more connected to the rest of the world.
1) What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
ReplyDeleteI believe iPhones/iPod Touches would be extremely useful in supplementing classroom learning. If you think about it, a lot of students bring laptops to school, and these would provide basically the same service but would eliminate the heavy load. Students would be able to research their own questions in the classroom and could even take quizzes that could be graded instantaneously by the professor’s iPhone. I was unaware that an application like this existed, but according to the article, it does.
2) Should this technology be required or optional?
I think this technology should be required, but I think students should get an extremely discounted rate. Instead of tricking the government into paying for the iPhones through financial aid, they could simply market their idea to competing phone companies and find the cheapest rate for the students. Even if these companies offered a discounted rate, an increase in sales by at least a few thousand students would absolutely help profits and national awareness increase. This phone company would also be viewed as the one helping today’s students get a better education, so with publicity like that, even more people will buy.
3) Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
I believe they would be, but I also believe this happens every semester anyway. Many students cannot afford books, lab fees, parking passes, or simply the chunk of tuition that their scholarship did not cover. These all pose an educational disadvantage. With the prospected discounted rate, this new technology should be about as expensive as another text book. But, because it will provide so much information, it could take the place of a few hundred dollar text book the students no longer have to purchase.
4) What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
I think this integration of new technology in colleges and universities will catch on very quickly. The iPhone is just the beginning of such technology, and I believe electronics companies will develop even better products at a cheaper rate in the coming years. These products will enhance learning and break down barriers to ideas that were previously unreachable, allowing students to really expand their minds.
1) What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
ReplyDeleteI feel that laptops are still the most useful technology to supplement classroom learning.
2) Should this technology be required or optional?
I don't think it should be required until prices have dropped low enough for lower-income students to afford them (or until schools can provide laptops to all students).
3) Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
Yes, I believe so, because I've been in that situation. For most of my college career I didn't have a laptop (or at least not one that could get me online), and for the first couple semesters I didn't have internet access even at home. This did put me at a disadvantage, if only because of the amount of time I could have saved with a (higher-functioning) laptop. Something that might take minutes or seconds with a laptop might require a trip to the library or all the way to campus. Taking notes and keeping up with assignments and lectures is also significantly easier with my own laptop.
4) What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
I think eventually laptops will be required, though I'm not sure about the future prevalence of handheld devices. Time will tell!
I think that Bringing Laptops to class is very important and useful while in class. If students brought their won laptops to class everyday the school would save allot of money on supplying the computers and other materials. If a student cant afford to get a laptop I think the classes should have a few computers in it for that reason.
ReplyDeleteI feel that having this technology should not be required because of the high prices but it should definitely be recommend and brought up allot. Having a laptop will make it allot easier for the students in which they can bring it home everyday.
No, If there are students that cant afford to get a laptop then I think all of the classrooms should have a minimal amount of computers set up to provide the students with a computer to use for the time being. The only disadvantage that some of the students will have is that they cant take the comp home with them which means they cant view or study there work on the computer besides via email.
I think that in the future college and universities will have the best and fastest technology. I think that allot of schools are going to use flat screen technology with mini laptops. I don't think textbooks will be used as much due to the internet. I think that we will come up with a way to read books online.
What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
ReplyDeleteAccess to a computer in every classroom should be implemented. In this day and age being comfortable with a computer is an absolute necessity The sooner kids learn how to integrate them into their lives the better off they will be. On the side of the educator I think it would be a great idea to use projectors and programs which would make teaching more exciting. Lesson plans could be more visually stimulating and interactive which would increase the amount of information each student would retain. This is because they would be far more engaged in such a classroom, as opposed to a more traditional lecture style class.
Should this technology be required or optional?
Such technology should be required. Many studies have shown the use of technology in the class room has had a beneficial effect on a students ability to learn.
Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
Absolutely. Students who can't afford a home computer now are at monumental educational disadvantage. With any lack of educational materials there is going to be a disadvantage. That's why I would hope some sort of social program would be implemented to put students of all socio-economic standing on equal footing.
What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
I see a lot of the implementation technology into the university setting over the next few years stemming from dramatically reduced budgets. I think we are going to see a large number of online classes emerge because of the low overhead involved. The university could pay one teacher to instruct hundreds without having to pay for a facility and the charges that come with it. Beyond that I would hope to see an integration of traditional and new methods of teaching in order to make material more engaging.
1) Of course the obvious answer is computers. For the skill set needed in the workplace today, every child should be taught using a computer from kindergarten thru college. computers as they are now can be a distraction to students. but with the technology today computers used solely in the classroom could be made strictly into tools for education.
ReplyDelete2) I believe this technology should be required. Computers are an essential part of our lives today. They should be required just as pens, pencils and paper are required.
3) Unfortunately they would be at a disadvantage. that said, I believe that the school system should be required to supply computers in much the same way they supply books. My parents are astounded at the supply list provided by my children's teachers at the beginning of each year. This is because my parents being in their late seventies went to school during the great depression. Even during the great depression they were not required to supply anything for school except a warm body. all paper, pencils and school books needed were supplied by the school system. Today my daughters grade was affected because she forgot to bring the teacher a ream of copy paper
4) I think the adoption of technology in universities is well on its way. UCF is an excellent example of such an adoption. there is almost no place on campus that you can't open your laptop and have an internet connection. Another example is this assignment. I'm currently feeling ill at home at 4:30 am and I am still able to turn in my assignment on time via the internet and UCF's adoption of such teaching methods.
1) What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe in technology in the classroom. In our day and age technology is everything and everywhere. I can watch TV, search the internet, and shop online all from my phone. In todays workforce graduates are expected to be on the up and up in technology. In order to even have a fighting chance we have to know as much as we can about technology because it is used in every field of work.
2) Should this technology be required or optional?
I guess it depends onto what extent.I do believe there should be technology in the classroom, but online textbooks? I don't think that is necessary in every circumstance. I like to have my hard copy, sometimes it's easy to flip through a book than the hassle of techy mishaps.
3) Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
There should be ways to make this educational technology affordable. Although the student would not be at an educational advantage from a knowlegde gaining aspect, they will be at a disadvantage from a job earning aspect. Technology is everything!
4) What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
The future is technology. Technology is going to get to another level of understanding, accessibilty, and necessity. I believe the future for learning will soon be all technologically based. Things are already changing now on our campuses, and they're going to be changing in our lives.
Technology is definitely something that enhances one's educational experiences. However, to me most technology simply makes learning faster, but not necessarily better. For example, we all now depend on calculators and spellcheck. These are both great tools but we used to rely on good ol' fashioned brain power. Now these two tools have eliminated the need for us to remember basic calculation or how to spell complicated words, we can just get the computers to do it for us. That is my fear with relying or involving too much technology.
ReplyDeleteIn the article about the iPhones a disadvantage of the technology was highlighted: "I’m always logged in, and it’s just like being on my computer,” she says.
And she keeps in touch with nearly all of them, sending and receiving anywhere from 200 to 300 text messages a day. And that was one of the two problems she encountered with her iPhone: shifting from being a texting speedfreak with her old Samsung Wafer phone on Alltel’s network to the iPhone’s virtual keyboard. “I’m as fast as I used to be, but now I do have to look at the keypad,” Davis says."
The major disadvantage of an iPhone in the classroom is it's a distraction. Another great example of this is our very own Capstone classroom. How often do we hear a person or two typing away at the computers in front of us during a lecture?
In summary, we should not shy away from technology, but we should not depend on it. All things in moderation. We do not want the power of the brain to be overshadowed by the power of a computer.
I think offering computers in on-campus housing would be useful in supplementing class materials. For those students who can't afford to buy their own personal desktops, computers offered in the on-campus housing would make materials available to all students living on campus.
ReplyDeleteI think at least a personal computer should be required by a college. Things like e-book readers are nice and comfortably portable, however there is the inability to highlight or write notes in the margins which is always helpful when going over the materials for a test. They are distracting but that comes down to willpower to stick to the class material and to not start updating one's facebook status in the middle of a class lecture.
I don't believe that technologies should be required by a college unless that college is ready to supply all of the students with it as UT did with the iphones and itouches. I think bringing technology to the classrooms has helped in the learning process, but it takes away as well. There have been many classes where I have waited for a lecture to start because the teacher couldn't get the dotcam to work or because their lecture notes would load onto the computer. I honestly believe that there is no substitute for good old pen and paper, marker and whiteboard. Mostly because the day will come that the iwhatever will crash and the students won't know what to do with themselves.
I believe that what type of technology would be most useful in classroom learning depends on the individual student, and the course. As mentioned in the 6 lessons article, courses that rely heavily on illustrations, would probably suffer if the e-book were only printed in black and white. I know from personal experience that when I print slide handouts to read while in class, since I often opt for the black and white option to save money, I lose some of content because I can tell what is red, blue or orange. This doesn’t mean that e-books are universally bad that just means that sometimes they are not the best option. I think that any type of technology that can help a student perform in a class is worthwhile in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteTechnology such as this shouldn’t be required; however, if it were set up like it was in Missouri I believe, it was required but not enforced then I believe that such technology should be required. It wouldn’t be fair to require students that are struggling as is to go out and buy a new expensive piece of equipment. This way those student could put that expense on their student aid. I think that is a great idea, this way there is a greater potential for the new technology to assist people who could benefit from it.
If a school were to require such technology and enforce that requirement, without providing aid for student who needed it, then the students who couldn’t afford that technology would absolutely be at a disadvantage. I know I personally do not qualify for financial aid, but if I were forced to buy something like that, it would force me to have to work more hours to be able to pay my other bills. I already work about 35 hours a week, once you add my time in school, and at home doing school work, I have a fairly full schedule already. That would be putting me at a disadvantage since I would have decreased study time because of increased work hours.
I think that schools weather elementary, high or university level should be at the leading front of technology and utilizing technology in the learning experience. This should be a requirement of the school, and I believe that the school should pay for the students to use that technology. At the same time, I believe that there shouldn’t be too much emphasis placed on technology such as e-books over the traditional. There needs to be a good balance between the old world and the new one. If we were to do away with books on campus all together, I believe that would hurt the overall learning experience. There needs to be an appropriate amount of incorporation of new technology to serve the needs of students and teachers alike.
I believe the most useful types of technology for school are a computer and internet access. Computers with organizational applications are also helpful because they allow for students to refer to lecture notes/ recordings more easily. HOWEVER, in the classroom, a notepad and pen never get old. If students are typing away on their laptops and/ or iPhones, they are more inclined to become distracted by unrelated material like instant messaging and Facebook!
ReplyDeleteIf UCF “required” but did not “enforce” certain technology like the use of the iPhone or iPod Touch, I would be against it (at this time). College students should be sensible enough to figure out how to manage their work. If he or she decides that using a computer-type device in the classroom is truly necessary, than he or she can make the decision to make use of that technology on their own. If even schools like the University of Missouri make it possible for iPod products to be included as part of a student’s “financial need”, some would not qualify and would be left out.
Fortunately, we can all afford a pen and paper. Unfortunately, we cannot all afford to purchase new technologies every few years. Students without certain technologies are slightly disadvantaged as long as their equally intelligent peers have it (but that is the way it has always been). EBooks are overrated anyway… they’re not that much cheaper in cost and you can’t make a few bucks selling them back when the semester ends.
Colleges and Universities will soon adopt technologies beyond what we can now imagine. Some of it may be extraordinarily beneficial; others may be merely hype and distraction. Luckily, the worthwhile technologies will stand the test of time –those are the technologies I plan on buying into.
1) I have seen the tiny netbooks around campus and I think it might be helpful to have one of those. Its much bigger than an iphone and a lot lighter and smaller than a laptop. Using e-books through it instead of carrying around three books all over campus sounds appealing.
ReplyDelete2) I think that it should be optional, however, I see where from a financial aspect putting "required" on it would help. I don't think that iphones and ipods are the best devices for school though, social networking sure...but not in comparison to a laptop.
3) I think that the iphones are convenient for quick lookups but other than that I don't think that students would be at a disadvantage unless the professor decided to center lesson plans around a certain app.
4) I definitely think that e-books are in the future, more than they already are. At the rate we're going who knows what else we'll be able to do with a cell phone in ten years. However, I have to say personally I have an iphone and I use an e-book for one of my classes. I prefer a good old fashioned book to staring at a laptop and constantly being "connected" can be a bit distracting at times.
1. In my opinion types of technology that would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning are: Integrating technology, educational Youtube TV/Traffic lessons. Now these day everything is about technology and computers.... being that ive done observations in classrooms i see that certain types of technology would be useful in the classrooms.
ReplyDelete2. Honestly, knowing what i know now i feel technology should be required in schools. As much as im not the best with computers and technology myself... i do feel its vital for the children today to be aquired to it and experiencing now about the importance and learning of technology.
3. Unfortunately, at some point they will be... however in elementary schools and secondary schools they provide the students with technology materials and computers. However, if the students cant afford it at home they are at a disadvantage as far as learning the technology outside of the school.
4. I feel that college and university students will, if not already have the adoption to computers, lap tops, and possibly just have lectures done by a animated/computer professor... Basically pen and paper will not even exist or be rare in the classroom settings in the near future.
1) What types of technology do you believe would be most useful in supplementing classroom learning?
ReplyDeleteI believe all technology is beneficial to learning. Computers would have to be the most useful technological tool to date. They have broadened our information sources and led way to online classes. Even technologies such as projectors have made it possible for one person to teach hundreds.
2) Should this technology be required or optional?
I think every type possible should be utilized if financially feasible. The more resources you have access to the better informed you will be. Though I believe a person has the right to decide their preferred method of learning through the option of classroom, online or hybrid courses.
3) Would students who are unable to afford this technology be at an educational disadvantage?
Not necessarily, no technology I believe will ever be able to replace the effectiveness of a 1:1 teacher to student ratio. The learning is more concentrated and focused on the understanding.
4) What do you think the future holds for the adoption of technology by colleges and universities?
I think technology will continue to prevail over traditional methods of teaching as more and more people are deciding to go back to school. It makes it easier and more far more effective for teaching the masses.
Aha! This is a topic about which I've come to have quite a strong opinion. Using technology in the classroom has become very, very commonplace and its a change I'm rather resistant to. What's my ideal course make-up? You go to class, your observe a lecture, you show up to the tests, and you better know your stuff. Now, almost every class has online components--different programs, software, and websites to open accounts, and online postings to check compulsively (no offense to this class!). What shocked me the most is the main characteristic of UCF's business curriculum: as little human interaction as possible. Forget about going to class, the lectures are all streaming online. Tests? Head down to the computer lab. How else can you service a class of 1,400? But I get it. You have to change and adapt. There are a lot of benefits to incorporating today's technology; I just can't help but feeling that its more trouble than its worth when the amount of time I spend logging in and searching around takes up the time I can spend on DOING.
ReplyDeleteHere's one example that really set me off. I was enrolled in one of those one-thousand-people-plus accounting classes. Not only did I have to spend hours weekly glued to my computer screen to "attend" class, and do daily computer assignments through an online practice program (which doubled the price of the already expensive course materials), but a decent amount of our participation was to be through something called Second Life. I was confused as a downloaded the way too large program, but my real frustration came when I tried to figure out what it actually was. A decent amount of time later, with the help of my more computer-literate guy friends, I realized the ridiculousness of what we were required to do. Second Life is a virtual gaming/networking world, complete with designing personal avatars to play with. The time it took to complete his exercises was only a fraction of what I spent exploring our virtual classroom, trying to find hidden assignment drop-boxes which I later found out didn't even get my work through! Now I know I'm very far from being technologically-savvy, but I spent a absurd amount of my time for financial accounting doing things that didn't involve accounting at all! I understand that the professor was probably trying to find a creative component to change things up, but I don't agree with being subjected to online role-playing just because that's something he enjoys on his spare time.
Alright, enough ranting about a specific teacher, I know it's very unprofessional. My point is: if technology is to be implemented into the classroom, it really needs to be in a carefully effective and efficient manner.
In a class room I think the basic technology will be sufficient. This is not the old bashing the new, but we have been using this system for so long. Granted certain things are a must. Projector and TV for video, and then a map to show where something is. This whole idea of technology entering the class room because every one is using it is pure bull. Books have been working for hundreds of years and some how they will keep being used for years after. And applications on Cellphones or MP3 players that recorded notes and lecture notes will be on is also bull. Tape recorders do the same thing and it captures what is happening in class at the moment. Students who can not afford all this fancy crap will not be at a disadvantage. Paper and pens and books have been the given in any class room and just because some one is using a cell phone or Kindle does not mean they are at a disadvantage. The main thing here is the person understanding the material, not how high tech can you make the material.
ReplyDeleteIt is not going to change. It has not change much in years and it is not going to change much now. This technology is here today and gone tomorrow. So it will pass just like everything else in this life time. College students will revolt against this and so will professor. Students understanding will not change, if they did not get it from the get go adding technology is not going to do much to change it.