Journal 9

Journal 9
Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning
By Dave Nagel

Project Tomorrow conducted a 2007 “Speak-Up Survey” that polled more than 367,000 education “stakeholders”. The participants varied from 320,000 students, 25,500 teachers, 20,000 parents, and 3,200 administrators. The survey asked various questions on technology in the classroom. Overall, the statistics suggested that individuals are for technology in the classroom as an aid for learning. For example, teachers and students expressed interest in educational gaming, online learning, and online classes. They also showed support for online research databases, 1:1 labtop programs, and technology in the classroom. The article even suggested that students may be even more technology adept than their teachers.
I believe the article brought up a good point in that many businesses and higher educations are using social networking as a communications and collaborative tool. As teachers, I believe one of our big responsibilities is to prepare students for adult life. As a result, we must envision what the world will be like in this century. Thus, technology must be incorporated into classroom because it is so widely used in the work world.

Questions:

1. What are the pitfalls of student internet use?
There are many educational resources on the internet. It serves as a great tool and quickly find a vast array of information. However, there are many sites that are not educational. The internet is so large and almost anything can be looked up. Often times, students do not use the internet as an educational resource.

2. What are the most widely used computer programs in today's job world?
I believe that Microsoft word, excel, and powerpoint are the most widely used tools in today's job world. Furthermore, email and adding attachments are such a big way for communicating in today's world. Many jobs today use some form of technology.