Tech Final Project #1- These are the right ones

"More students getting laptops instead of textbooks"-
I would love to see an all-digital curriculum in my district. What I've seen is big, thick, heavy textbooks that go somewhat unused. They're also a bit like cars and computers; once they're published, they're almost immediately out-of-date. With laptops, the content could change as the information changes. It also keeps the students interested and more informed. I think that even as expensive as the all-digital would be, that it would probably save a district money in the long run.

"Video helps overhaul district's curriculum"-
How could a program like this not be a good thing? I can only imagine having access to thousands of video companions for your class curriculum. The article is correct about the media savviness of today's students. They soak so much in visually. I would jump at the chance to help implement a program like this. The article is about a large district (Baltimore), but think about the ramifications for small, rural districts, where some students don't have access to a full-service public library or maybe even internet. This would open a whole new world for those teachers and students.

"The Marshal of MySpace"- I have disliked MySpace since I first heard about it. I didn't like reading about so and so having hundreds if not thousands of "friends". Kids are telling their most intimate thoughts and secrets to hoards of strangers, not friends. The site does invite crime and victimization. Although I do understand that most teenagers think no one else is going through what they are; and I know that MySpace helps them find kids who are just like them. I know that must help them cope. But at the heart of it, I'm old-fashioned. Whatever happened to diaries and telling your best friend everything? Plus, your parents knew that best friend very well. Kids don't need MySpace to socialize. Kids don't need MySpace for academic help. So while I'm glad that MySpace has employed someone who is obviously dedicated to keeping these kids safe, I think that the world is better off MySpaceless. But I'm not naive. I know how the world works today. There has to be a safety net, and I'm glad MySpace has looked beyond profit and growth to try and install some kind of fail safe. It's especially worth getting child predators identified and marked. Because the majority of predators don't ever stop.

"If wired right, computers do belong in classrooms"-
The big point of this piece is obvious and true. If you depend on the technology alone, you are not going to get the desired results. It takes a teacher, willing to be creative and do the research, for the combination of teaching and technology to succeed. Even if you're showing a class a movie or video, you have to engage them during the process by pointing things out, inspiring opinions. Just last week, the teacher I was subbing for had us watch "An Inconvenient Truth", the Al Gore documentary on global warming. I continuously asked them questions and pointed out important parts. I used it to ask them what they knew about the 2000 election. Most were unaware of the details, so we stopped and discussed them. I asked for their opinions on global warming, and what small things they thought they could do to help. You can't just press play or throw them in front of a computer and expect great increases in what they're actually learned. It has to be a combination of the two.