After I dropped off my boys this morning, I thought about what I had lined up for today; I was mentally organizing my time. And then it hit me, no matter where I was going to work for the day--the TA office, the library, at home--I was going to be sitting in front of a computer. This is the first time in my life I have been this connected with technology.
When I was working at the child care center, about 50% of my time was spent either on the phone or the computer, usually both at the same time (I managed the billing and board reports as part of my job there). But, 50% of my time was spent talking with the kids, the staff, or the parents. If the computer wasn't working, or someone else needed it, I always had something non-technology related to do.
Even when teaching in the public schools, maybe 15% of my time involved technology. While teaching I'd use a a computer to check my email a couple times a day, take attendance, look up lesson ideas, or enter grades in the gradebook. Edison schools also had a bi-weekly session set up with the school technology guy (actually it was a lady) to do mini-lessons in technology for the teachers. That was nice.
And now, almost all of my work is on the computer. I get away from the computer, usually, during class time (except my online class, obviously, so that'd be about 6 hours a week). Even when I'm teaching (only 3 1/2 hrs a week) I need the computer for just about everything. And my students do too. I am shocked how many of them I see who are physically unable to stop. When I have them turn off their computers there are always a few who then pull out their phones to text. Ugh.
My point is, as I thought about all that I had to get done today, I was trying to think about something I could do that didn't involve technology, and I couldn't. Even doing the reading for class, I need to have blogger open and ready or I forget the parts I had comments about by the time I go to write about it unless I write it immediately.
And then I started contemplating on all of the technology I see happening in the classroom at my observation site. The teacher uses the smartboard on a daily basis to conduct the reading lesson. It really enhances the lesson, and definitely peaks student interest. Last Thursday when I went to observe, the Kindergarten classroom had a substitute teacher. She was lovely, but the schedule was a little off, and the real kicker, she didn't have the code to be able to use the smartboard. This was really bothering the kids. She was doing circle time the same as always, only she was reading from an actual book as opposed to the book being shown on the smartbord using a CD that comes with the curriculum the district uses. The following conversation happened like three times in 5 minutes...
child 1: Teacher, Ms. Davis usually does this on the Smartboard.
child 2: Yeah, but we don't have the code.
child 3: So we can't use the Smartboard.
Teacher: Yes children, today I will be doing things a little different.
Para: And that's okay.
Teacher: I'm still teaching you all of the things Ms. Davis would be teaching you, I just do it differently.
Children nod approvingly.
I am always conflicted between the good technology can do to engage some students who may otherwise be "bored". (The other day my three year old told me our house was boring. Although I don't think he really understands what it means, he used it in an appropriate co
ntext. Kinda made me think how well someone could have a conversation in a second language and sound like they knew what they were talking about, but really have no clue. I remember when I was little, maybe eight, and I called my brother a slut because I'd heard it on the bus and I knew it was a mean word, but I didn't know what it meant. My mother pulled me aside and explained. I'm still embarrassed from that conversation.) And getting so addicted to using technology that there are no other options. Sure I could sit down with a notebook and pen to take notes while I read, but that seems like I'd be doing twice the work. I hope all this multitasking is beneficial to the human brain. What was your Tetris score when you were 4?
ntext. Kinda made me think how well someone could have a conversation in a second language and sound like they knew what they were talking about, but really have no clue. I remember when I was little, maybe eight, and I called my brother a slut because I'd heard it on the bus and I knew it was a mean word, but I didn't know what it meant. My mother pulled me aside and explained. I'm still embarrassed from that conversation.) And getting so addicted to using technology that there are no other options. Sure I could sit down with a notebook and pen to take notes while I read, but that seems like I'd be doing twice the work. I hope all this multitasking is beneficial to the human brain. What was your Tetris score when you were 4?
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It is a fact that we are surrounded by technology. It seems almost impossible to beable to live without it even when we had a disconnection for one or two minutes with our internet we get frustrated. I am comparing myself with my parents they do not use computer at all. Is this generation gap!
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