I'm currently working on my project for this class. It's on the Generation Z - the kids born after 1990. These kids use technology to learn, for entertainment and for information. This is all very exciting and innovative, but the amount of time that they spend on it is ridiculous. It's sad. It makes me want to go back to the days when I was a kid. When I played outside, made mud pies and fed cookies to ants. Do kids ever explore anymore? Do they ever play or do they just have toys that play FOR them rather than WITH them. I know it's not as extreme as I'm making it out to be, kids are still kids after all, but I can see that society is changing at a rapid pace. It scares me that kids will forget how to play, that they will have poor social skills because, frankly, they have few opportunities in which to practice them.

Maybe I fear it because I can see this happening to myself. Granted 90% of the work that I do on the computer is school related, but the amount of time I pour into using technology is daunting. My phone, TV, internet, social networking sites - it's my life during the week. Our world is so technologically driven that I really can't get out of it...not if I want to complete assignments and stay in contact with friends.

Our first class

This evening, we had our first "Computers in the Classroom" class. We discussed a number of exciting and important topics ranging from new technologies that can be found in the classroom and how to use these technologies effectively. I am excited to begin this course. I know that I will benefit greatly from it and be able to make my teaching more interactive and exciting.

Much of what we discussed centered around how we must teach children how to learn, find and obtain information. We should not simply be the resource for all information and expect students to memorize it. Rather we should give them the tools and skills that they need to accurately search for and find factual information. We also discussed how children need to strengthen skills such as group collaboration and responsibility to prepare them for their future vocations. 

Although a highly technological classroom does scare me in a way, I think that it is the future of all classrooms. It is vital however, that technology be used in an appropriate manner: not overused but used as a tool for interaction and discovery. Our world thrives on technology today and children are using technology more than ever. As teachers, we can use this technology to help them learn. It is important that we maintain traditional ways of educating as well. Books, community building through face to face interaction, physical activity and art are just a few things that we need to examine by stepping away from the busyness of technology and remember a time when life was simpler.

We also discussed a number of helpful websites which we will examine in later classes. There are so many sites that offer lesson plans, classroom ideas, sites to engage learners and sites to help teachers create lessons and other classroom material. With all of the new demands put on teachers, this is one area that I am thankful to have. I am thankful for the collaboration of ideas and creations such as lesson plans. This not only makes my job easier, but provides for a richer, more thought-out lesson plan for students.