Blog Post Assignment #10

1. I'm a Papermate. I'm a Ticonderoga.

“I'M A PAPERMATE

I COST LESS, BUT BREAK

ALL THE TIME

I'M A TICONDEROGA

I'M THE MOST EXPENSIVE

PURCHASE A HIPSTER

WILL EVER MAKE”

This cartoon tells us the importance of pencils in classroom and gives us time to think of how pencils are useful in classroom in development of technology. There are two men who use pencils. Both pencils have benefits for choice. One uses Papermate pencils. Papermate pencils are more cheap and moderate in price. On the contrary, another uses Ticonderoga pencils. Ticonderoga pencils are more expensive, but they have a great quality.

2. Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? By John Spencer

I read posts on John Spencer’s blog. He is a teacher. First, I read “Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?” on his blog. In this post, he wanted to tell us what is important for student’s learning. His teaching style might not follow purpose or will his principal (school) for teaching. His principal focused on testing for students. I think that’s because of No Child Left Behind which focuses on standardized testing. Because of this law, teachers are increasingly only teaching for testing. However, he stated that teaching for tests does not provide student’s development of skills including of critical thinking, and creativity. Just memorizing facts is not for student and it closed students' door to possibilities in their future. He also said that it is important for teachers to encourage students to improve their skills of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Second, I read “10 Points on Pencils.” He provides the values of “pencils” for students although many technology tools are developing and some educators focus on technology in education. In this post, He also stated the fear of technology tools in education. They take away self-efficacy of students. In addition, he said the major issue is how to educate. Now, pencils do not have positive power in classroom, but they can give each student education in a personalized way.

3.  Don't Teach YourKids This Stuff. Please?

I cannot entirely agree or disagree with his opinion against technology in education because this has been controversial for a long time. I think technology tools for students have many pros and cons. I thought of both pros and cons in this debate, Technology Tools and Social Media in Classroom.

Pros:

Technology keeps developing with remarkable rapidity. Our students will work in technology and social networking; they should learn how to use the technology tools and devices such as laptops, iPad, iPod tough because they will have to use computer in the future.

The technology tools and social media can effectively engage students and help them build good communication skills.

Social Network Services such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter can help students elevate communication with their teachers, classmates, friends and somebody who they can connect with through them. Through SNS, teachers and students can debate and discuss for some questions, teachers can announce for students, students can ask questions for classmates and teachers.

Cons:

Students cannot get attention to what teacher is teaching and what is happened in classroom because of technology tools and social media. They are distressing in the classroom.

The technology tools and social networking lead bullying on chat and/or SNS in internet. Social networking websites provides students a huge of connections with others and they are not face- to –face, so they leads more cruel bullying.

They decrease students’ face- to-face communication with teachers and friends. It leads lack of development of speech skill and speaking skill. Especially, it is important for K-6^th grade students to have lots of conversations with parents, teachers, and friends to develop correct language skills including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. These tools social networking prevent them from express themselves by themselves.

Pictures:

http://ecowomen.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/pencils1.jpg

http://www.technected.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Technected-The-Mobile-Classroom.jpg