Back to the Future! -- Technology in the Classroom!

Today I watched several videos about technology and the affect it has on education both now and in the future. Technology is a major part of people's lives outside of the classroom both for professional and personal use. It makes complete sense in this new technologically savvy world that students should be taught to use these new tools to their advantage.

One of the videos I watched, "The Future Starts Now", reflects directly on this idea. The video discusses the term "ICT" (Information and Communication Technology) and how it should be used in the classroom to motivate students and improve learning. The video speaks directly to the notion of building a "knowledge based society". It suggests that the way in which to do this is by using "gadgets" such as ipads, iphones, computers, et cetera. This video also mentions that ICT is the fifth basic skill of the curriculum in Norway. However, it is important for teachers to be educated on the use of ICT and the benefits it can provide so they will actually enforce it in the curriculum. It is suggested that it should be a part of pre-service teacher training. I completely agree with all of the statements made in this video. I can honestly say that without this class, I would not have known or cared to use many of these technological tools in my future classroom. However, after using these tools and practicing them as part of my pre-service training, it has definitely changed the way I will approach the use of technology in the classroom. I had thought of it as more of a hassle but now I would say that it can make education and learning both more motivating and accessible to all.

Another video I watched, "Social Media Revolution 2011", discusses the very drastic effects of technology on today's world.  It was obvious even before watching this video that technology is a major part of our lives outside the classroom. Yet, I think that this video does a great job of highlighting the extent to which social media has impacted our lives. I thought this video was very eye-opening because it provides statistics stating the effects of various social media sites such as Facebook on the world today. It is amazing to see such high percentages associated with the use of these various sites especially for professional purposes. One part of the video that really struck me was the quote, "We don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it," by Erik Qualman. I think this quote perfectly reflects on the way that not only technology should be used in the outside world but also in the classroom. For teachers today and in the future, the use of technology is no longer a choice. For me, it is simply a question of "how" to use technology in my future classroom.

The last video I watched, "Classroom of Tomorrow", gives some great visual examples of technology use in the classroom. It was really interesting to see the way classrooms would work using new technology. The video has images of students using their iphones and ipads to participate. It also gives great examples of the teacher using the devices during presentations. The way all of the devices are interconnected is shown in the scene when the teacher slides a stock market picture from his iphone right up onto the screen for the students to see. I would love to have tools like this to use in the classroom. It makes the learning process so much more motivating and inspiring when you can actually visualize and animate something the students are learning. It solidifies learning because it makes it an experience rather than just a list of facts.

Overall, I enjoyed watching each of these videos. I think they give a great view of technology in the classroom. It is altogether inevitable that technology is now a part of the world and must be a part of the classroom. I look forward to continue learning about these internet tools so I can use them in my future classroom. I am especially excited to use these different tools because it makes learning fun and interactive. I hope that my students will feel the same!