The statistics that were showed in this short video were scary, but true - I found myself reflecting back on my early college days. It showed college age students holding up statistics that were true to them, including how much reading was assigned to them and how little reading actually applied to what they were studying. This video also supports the changes that we are trying to make in the classroom - moving away from the standardized tests (recall) and more toward performance assessments (perform, apply - higher DOK questioning). These types of assessments will help prepare students for the jobs of the future, jobs which may not currently exist. Finally, the video discuss that technology ALONE cannot fix the problems of the world - because let's be real, it causes problems. The students in the video admitted to using the computer during class for Facebook and other non-academic reasons. We must remember this in our own classrooms. Like everything else, technology needs to be watched and incorporated with other strategies within the classroom for its best effect.
Resources
- This is a new favorite web site! I am the head of our math committee at school and we are always looking for new strategies to teach difficult concepts. I love how this web site lists the skills or sub skills and then has available videos, definitions, and pictorial descriptions for each available. The site says it is helpful for parents who need to help their children, but I think it can be used in the classroom to introduce some skills, or reteach others. There are also links to upload your own videos if they do not have one available yet. I would suggest this site to anyone who teaches math!
- This site offers a lot of great resources and information, but I am afraid it is hidden behind "fun" less-educational information that will distract my students. Knowing my 3rd graders, I am concerned that they will be spending their time reading about the TV shows and looking under the game application before using the factual information that can be gained from this page. I think I will stick with discovery kids until I can "train" my students how to use the search tool on the site. I am also concerned that this site may include information that is too mature for my kids.
I thought it was interesting about the video, I agree, students in college read textbooks that are not necessarily useful. Also, I can admit to getting on Facebook during class on my phone and computer, so technology can definitely hurt. It needs to be incorporated, but monitored.
ReplyDeleteI think the Math website would be really useful! Thanks for sharing that because that is not one I went to.
I agree with you about the Discovery Channel website. It is a really great website, but it can be very distracting.
That video does seem rather interesting and I probably should have watched that one. The video I chose had a similarity with yours in the fact that it mentioned the future and if we are teaching students to be prepared for our age group or theirs. I also wrote about technology in my blog as well as having its ups and downs. Even though we were told they were blocked, kids still find ways on the sites they shouldn't be on. I have seen students on their own g-mail account in class so many times it is unreal. I have seen students on their own blogs, facebook, and instagram. I even have certain students that I take their tablets as soon as they walk in my room and place them on my desk until they need it because they will constantly sneak on to something in the middle of my class. It is a tough battle to fight.
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