Reading Ira Socal's, "A Toolbelt For A Lifetime" encouraged me to think even more outside the box about technology and how it is, and can be used in the classroom. To often it seems teachers and administrators are thinking short term in relation to school and student success. Technology is often discouraged, as it can be a distraction. However, shouldn't it be more important for kids to learn how to be responsible with a device such as a cell phone? Cell phones aren't going to magically disappear, so it would be more beneficial for students to learn how to use them responsibly and respectfully.
The longer you hold students back from the real world the more lost they will be when they're thrown into the fire. Shouldn't school serve as an avenue to prepare children for life, rather than holding them back from it. Both parents and teachers can sometimes forget that children have to be guided, not forced. There has to be room for them to make their own decisions, experience their own failures, because this is what helps them grow. A correct balance is hard to find, but is essential to students learning, developing, and progressing. Technology must not be feared, but rather embraced as is a tool that can provide great benefit, and must be learned for success in today's society. We must teach children to be problem solvers, not do the problem solving for them. With our help, but not too much of it, we can be the people who ensure children will have success throughout their whole life...and that my friends is something that you can be satisfied with!
I completely agree that we need to embrace childrens use of technology! I have a roomate who is completely against the idea of young kids using technology.... she says that her kids will not use a computer till they are 10. I can't believe what an old fashioned comment this is! Technology is something that is so beneficial to kids schooling and keeping them from using it will only cause them to fall behind.
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