Rethinking Education (ch 7) Reflection

Chapter 7 in Rethinking Education talked about what could be lost or gained as a result of the new revolution in education. One of the things talked about was a loss in access to technology. Having a free public school system allows all children, no matter what their socioeconomic background, to have access to an education and thus technology while at school. Granted, the children who are from poorer neighborhoods tend to have poorer schools and not as many opportunities, but they are given access to some technology. Being introduced to new technology is very important in this day and age with more and more jobs requiring the use of technology; students need to be prepared to use it. With more and more people hiring tutors, homeschooling, or having their kids attend private schools it seems that those students already at a disadvantage are falling even further behind. Teachers need to prepare their students for the future, but have to be careful with the types of assignments they are having students do. This is because not all students have access to computers outside of school. If you expect students to do research for a report or project outside of school, you need to think about the access your students have to computers. Some students may not have a computer at home and may not have a way to get to a library or friends house where they could use one. The digital divide between students is something we as teachers need to think about when asking our students to do certain things. We need to prepare our students for the future and not being able to do certain projects because of access to technology could seriously inhibit that. As teachers, we may need to give our students other opportunities to work on a project. If this means staying after school for an hour to supervise and open lab time, I think it would be worth it. Showing students that you are willing to help them succeed is going to make them respect you more and believe you when you say that you want them to succeed. The chapter also talked about the positive impact technology has had on education. One of the gains talked about was that technology makes education more engaging. Using technology in the classroom can make a lecture more interesting because it keeps the students focused on what they are supposed to be learning. Something as simple as using an interactive white board instead of a normal whiteboard can make learning more interesting. The use of an interactive white board is more fun for the students and shows them different types of technology you can use in different situations. By using technology to keep your students interested, you are also preparing them for the future. Introducing them to the different types of technology that are available to them will give them options to use later in their own careers. As a teacher, I want to help my students succeed in any way that I can. I will use different technology in my class room so my students can learn how to use it and will be better prepared for college and future careers. I will also try to minimize the digital divide that might exist between my students. If that means spending extra time at school so that my students can have extra time to use a computer, then that’s what I will do. I want to give my students every opportunity to do things to the best of their abilities.