Online or on Paper: Which type of learning is best?

http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_9.htm

Online classes have become a common occurrence in today's world of education. Numerous educators have now installed online homework into their classrooms. This "new" idea has given students a great number of benefits. For starters, students can now submit their assignment and allow others to critique their work. This feedback could help students better understand the assignment and improve grades. Furthermore, the online work could be corrected automatically, which would save teachers countless hours of correcting papers. This new found time could be used to create better and more impacting lesson plans. Lastly, students could make simple corrections to the assignments, instead of having to turn in a whole new document.

The main drawback of this idea, however, is the fact that not every student will have access to a computer at home. This could really discriminate against students who do not have the option of turning homework in online.The school could possibly lend out computers to take home, so these students have equal access to the assignments. Until schools can tackle this problem, I don't know if this web-based assignments will be able to work.

Image used with permission from ttarasiuk at flickr.com

Digital Readers vs. Textbooks: Who wins?

http://technological-teaching-aids.suite101.com/article.cfm/advantages_of_ereaders

Every college student, including myself, has been in this position before: standing at the cash register at the bookstore, wondering how these 5 books cost you so much money. The new e-books offer a cheaper, and more environmentally friendly alternative to heavy textbooks. With the emergence of the Kindle, Sony Reader, etc., people are now offered the access to thousands of books, all on the same device. Furthermore, this device sparingly uses battery, and would greatly cut back on the use of paper for books. From a student's standpoint, the e-books are cheaper and lighter to carry. It seems that, in the near future, schools will shift from the standard textbooks to the new, efficient e-books. The digital readers seem to be a great step up from the "old" world of paper and textbooks. But the question remains; will the digital reader be the death of the paperback book? Only time will tell!


Image used with permission from goXunuReviews at flickr.com

Cell Phones In School: Two Thumbs Down

http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/fair_cell_phone_use_in_schools

With the widespread use of cellular phones in today's society, there arises a question: Should cell phones be allowed in K-12 schools? Supporters of phones in schools claim that students can provide feedback to one another through text messages, can take photos of notes that they are unable to write down, and can contact someone quickly in case of emergency. However, many critics, myself included, believe that cell phones are counter-productive in schools. Students may either text test answers to others in class, conduct matters that have no affiliation with the school, or may just be inattentive during class. In my high school, students were not allowed to have cell phones. Every classroom was equipped with a telephone that would suffice in case of an emergency. Furthermore, students would often text each other answers to quizzes or tests, which really upset me. There will always be places for cell phones in society, just not in the classroom!

Image used with permission from Mykl Roventine at flickr.com

SMART Boards

http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Boards/Front+projection/

Technology is evolving at the speed of light. With its evolution, it also tweeks or improves other previous tools. Take the SMART Board, for example. It takes the idea of a white board and mixes it with multi-touch technology. It links the "old"  technology with the "new" wave. One thing that makes these products so beneficial is the interactive learning atmosphere it creates. No longer do children have to sit, bored, while the teacher writes information on the board. Now, children can interact with the information on different levels. Instead of the teaching writing information on the board, they could bring up a website and have the children interact with the information shared on that website. They can highlight words, or underline sentences. With this new technology, classrooms are being transformed into an interactive atmosphere. Fun, and educational, for all ages!

Image used with permission from djainslie at flickr.com

What's up world?

Welcome to my new blog! I hope you're all ready to hear my honest and sometimes unique thoughts on education and technology and how it is used in the classroom. Check often! You many miss some important thoughts.