Growing Up Online?

This week I watched the PBS special about kids and teens "growing up" online.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

I reviewed the posts of my classmates, Jenny, Sasha, and Emily.
I feel that I relate best with Emily's comments. The internet is so useful for learning, researching, and just having your own place. But at the same time it is a scary place if you don't know what you're doing and don't know how to react to anything you may stumble upon online. As the years go on the age of children who use the internet on a daily basis is decreasing. I still remember dial-up, and as Sasha mentioned, hated waiting for it to log on. All I used it for was instant messaging and some occasional research for a project, but then it was easier for me to go look around the library than online. Times have changed! Some people have accepted this, but others such as the PTO mother, Evan Skinner, have not. They obsess over the safety of their children online. Most kids online know what they're doing and getting into.
As Jenny mentioned, all of this time spent online is allowing us to be closer to far away family and friends, but I also feel that the internet has distanced us. Instead of venting to a close friend we write about it and then post it online; instead of calling someone to hang out we IM or text. I've noticed personally that I would rather text a person than call them most of the time. I am ashamed of this because I really like to be social and out-going in person, not just on Facebook/the internet.

Chicago Public Schools

Earn an A? Here's $50.

I do not think this is a smart idea. Intrinsic motivation is essential to successful learning by the students. This program does the exact opposite by motivating students extrinsically. So instead of the student learning to learn, they are learning to earn. How much of this will they really care to remember after the test? And honestly, do we need anymore testing in schools? Jobs today do not include bubbled in standardized tests or an extra bonus for every great achievement and especially not for an average performance (like getting a “C”). My position is the same as a parent, teacher, and taxpayer. As a parent I don’t want someone else paying my child for their grades. I will reward my child to the best of my ability and in the way I see fit. And as a taxpayer I would much rather see the money go towards better teacher training, facilities, and technology in the classrooms.

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/2948980.php?

This article contains limited information. Yet it includes the statement that many wealthier parents have been doing it for decades. Since when does that mean it’s a good idea?

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7413415&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.8.1

The woman at the end of this video says that schools should be concentrated on better teachers and resources than a monetary incentive for students. That is exactly how I feel about this.

Jacqueline's Blog

I agree with Jacqueline's comments, especially about getting back to intrinsic motivation as I previously stated. I really like how she mentioned that if these students are motivated only by money and enter the workforce with that mindset they will soon become unhappy. I think this is a really good point because success is not defined by how much money you make but how happy you are, that's my opinion anyway.

Loren Steffey's Blog
This man has done his research! He points out that not only does this overemphasize testing but paying students may help increase funding in schools that are struggling with the NCLB. And again, as a taxpayer, I would like to see the money spent on resources and facilities not just some extra cash for the students.

Technology in the lives of Kids Today

Based on the following blogs there has been exponential growth in technology use, especially among students.
Jenny's Blog
Jacqueline's Blog
Jeff's Blog

I knew children today are using more and more technology but I do not feel like that is reason enough for us as teachers to be forced to use it to teach. In fact I disagree with the positions of these people about using technology in our future classrooms. I think that technology should be used to enhance our teaching; not the other way around. It is more important that students understand the concepts than the technology that applies them. As I stated in my first blog, it is ridiculous to force teachers to use technology that they don't even understand. It makes the teacher look unknowledgeable and is just an excuse for many kids to goof off.

In my classroom I will focus on the concepts of mathematics and how to solve problems. I want my students to be able to connect these concepts to real life. If THAT means using a computer or some other technological advancement that I understand than I will teach that. I recognize that technology is an important part of our society but I also see what could happen if everything crashed. Children should be able to do math without the help of technology.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson Talk

This is a very interesting video clip. Sir Ken Robinson is speaking about how education focuses most heavily on math and science topics and the least on the arts. He is concerned that this is inhibiting many children's creativity. I particularly enjoyed his quote of Picasso that all children are born with creativity, but many grow out of it as they get older. It seems that today's education system is making it incredibly hard for students to maintain and build upon the creativity that they were born with. Why is it that schools require math and science to be taught every year, but classes that involve music, dance, or fine arts are not required for more than one or two semesters?
In Sir Robinson's words, intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. Every person has a unique set of talents, they are always building on these talents and changing, and they are different from the person next to them. Children learn differently from one another and teachers must understand that in order to properly educate them.
When I am a teacher, I will strive to incorporate as many teaching styles as possible so that every student may benefit equally from being in my classroom. I want them to understand the concepts and be able to apply them to whatever they may be doing currently or in the future. Relate fractions to music, geometric shapes and graphs to dance, movement, and drawing. As a member of the Marching Illini, music and the arts are a large part of my life. I would not enjoy seeing anyone's love of music or art stifled by today's focus on math and science. They are important topics, but developing and nurturing a child's given talent is more important.

Should teachers have a choice about technology?

Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children's future, is it really ok to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?

I think teachers must incorporate more technology into the classroom. But I feel that it is more important to focus on the theories behind the math so that a student may understand what the technology is doing to find the answer. Teachers should never be forced to teach a complicated piece of technology that they don't even understand because that just creates more confusion for the students. Therefore before a teacher is expected to teach a type of technology the school should provide extensive training for it.

Who I Am

Welcome to my blog! My name is Addi and I'm a currently a junior at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). I was born in Park Ridge, IL, but spent most of my life in West Lafayette, IN. I'm at the U of I to major in math and to get a minor in secondary education. I really enjoy my time on campus and have become involved in a few major organizations: the Marching Illini, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and Students for Chief Illiniwek. I hope to finish school on time and find a job teaching math at a high school level somewhere in the Midwest.