Kindle or No Kindle?

Hello all,

      A good question to ask oneself is "How would school be different if everyone read off a Kindle?". The reason this is such an important topic is because now more then ever before the public school system is considering getting rid of paper textbooks. This has already been done at the University of Virginia. They have replaced 50,000 physical books with 50,000 digital books from Google. I believe that this is just the beginning.

     Many professionals, students, teenagers, and even children posses a digital book reader called a "Kindle". This is useful in that you can have many books downloaded at one time, and it also saves money on purchasing these books. One might ask why should we change a school system with paper books that worked great in the past? Well, kids are growing much more rapidly and their electronic skills are surpassing their teachers. We need to prepare them for the future and also we must fit their learning needs. One of the downsides to the Kindle is that it does not process as fast as a paper book would. For those that are fast readers, this could cause difficulties. As time proceeds, I feel that the electronic portable book reader will grow and the kinks in the system will be fixed. 

      Another positive aspect of the electronic reader is that you can also use your iphone to read a book! This would be useful for those constantly on-the-go or traveling. The possibility of being able to catch up on your reading by using your cell phone is an exciting concept. Visually impaired learners will also benefit, because each reader has a built in text to speech reader that will read the book aloud for the student. This will help learners better understand what they are reading, and also help to fit each individuals different way of processing information. The invention of the electronic reader seems to have more positive factors than harmful, and I feel it is going to make learning even more exciting for our future students. I feel this will benefit both teachers and students in future classrooms.

-Sarah 

Bull, G, and M. Sites. (2009). Digital Libraries: Shifting the Landscape. Learning and Leading with  Technology, 37 (1), pp. 12-13. 

       

Forget the School Bus, We have the Computer!

  Hello group, the article I read is called "The Beginners Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips" By Jan Zenetis and it is about the different types of field trips available to teachers/students. Now days, it is not even necessary to leave the classroom in order to experience the joys of a field trip! Schools can save money and time with the new options we have. There are two different virtual options for these trips, one is called "Asynchronous" and the other is "Interactive".
      Asynchronous virtual field trips are those that are not delivered in real time, and they are websites that contain different audio/video resources for students and only require an internet connection in order to use. The one downside is there is no interaction between students and the field trip, and that is where Interactive field trips come in handy. Interactive field trips are those where students are watching a real time video, and  it is almost as if they are on a real field trip but still in the classroom. There is more possibility for the students to ask questions and receive answers. Although both field trips save the cost of transportation, bus rides, etc, it seems that the "Interactive" field trips are a better option because it might keep students more involved.
        I am so impressed with the different things we can do on the computer these days! Although I remember field trips as a fun part of school, these days schools are trying to cut costs in any way possible and this is a great place to start. I don't think we should completely eliminate out of class trips, just cut back on them and add more in the classroom. Hopefully one day both virtual and real field trips will be incorporated in every school.

Yes to Technology!

Hello All,
         After reading "Point/Counterpoint is Blogging Worth the Risk?", I have to say that I feel blogging is now, more than ever, worth the risk. Technology is taking over in every aspect of life including the workplace, home, and the classroom. It seems that some teachers and educational employees from past generations are not accepting the fact that blogging can bring a whole new world of learning into the classroom. One thing to keep in mind in any place where one might be writing for the public eye to see, is that certain things must be kept to oneself. It is not necessary to speak your mind if it is going to effect your reputation. It is essential for students to discover how open the internet is and how it is necessary to take into consideration everything you put out for the the public to see. Although it might be a personal blog, it is important to keep professional when it comes to speaking your opinion.
       I can understand how some might feel that blogging is too risky and it is better to be kept in our personal lives, but that would also keep us from sharing such a valuable tool with our students. The students of today will one day be entering college and the workplace, so we need to prepare them to be successful. The computer is one of the most powerful tools we have and the internet is thriving now more then ever. It is important as a teacher to be able to share valuable information with our students that will guide them and bring a whole new world of thinking into their lives. Blogging is a great way to communicate with others your view on certain topics and also a great way to connect to others that you otherwise might not meet. We can not  take technological tools away from the people who are going to benefit from it the most, the teachers of tomorrow.
- Sarah Strickland