Technology

I would have to say that the cell phone is the most important technological invention. It revolutionized communication and inspired the technological trend of convenience and mobility. Also, it is through cellular devices that new technologies are being added. Not only do they act as phones, cells are now hand-held computers, MP3 devices, calendars, calculators, cameras, etc.

The following technologies are essential to my life: the computer, the internet, *cell phones especially text messaging, *Ipod/MP3 players, cars, the television, satellite radio, GPS systems, *social networking websites, email, and *digital photography.

When I get home from school, I check my email and facebook accounts approximately five to ten times before I will go to bed at night. I always listen to satellite radio or my MP3 player when I am driving in the car. Also, I like to unwind by watching television or using youtube.com to look up music videos, television shows, or random clips. Finally, I would be lost if I did not have an internet connection to do a daily sudoku puzzle or crossword puzzle!

Cell phones are used excessively out of the classroom, yet not utilized for communication for school purposes. In addition, students and teachers check myspace and facebook constantly, but don't use these sites for academic reasons. Inherently, these technologies and the internet in general are constantly receiving attention from individuals and the media, but have not really been harnessed for productive reasons.

In ED585, we need to do projects that expose us to the latest technological trends such as blogging, podcasting, creating wikis, and using smartboards. That way teachers will be more apt to use the available resources in the classroom. We need to study ways to appropriately use and REGULATE technologies. It's not enough to learn them, but also we need to know how they can enhance our students' educations by acting as tools, not crutches for learning. I would hope that as a class, we act as a community of learners who can discuss pertinent issues and guide each other with our experiences. For example, I don't know how to use a smartboard, but I am sure that there are members of the class who can teach me. Hopefully, I will be able to reciprocate by teaching them how to use technologies that I am familiar with. The only thing I would avoid in this class is getting side tracked by the uneven distribution of technology. If we are discussing this topic, I would hope that it would not turn into a complaining section, but rather a forum to learn about ways to make technology more accessible to all.

Questions for Dr. Shutkin:
1. What issues in technology are you most interested in?
2. How do you approach issues with technology in your own family? Do you limit internet access for your children? How do you supervise them with the technologies that you have given them?
3. Do you believe that technology is used appropriately in today's world? Or do you believe we have lost a balance in our overreliance on it?