Comments on: Getting away from it all adds perspective…Duh

By: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » More Filtering. No not that kind of filtering.

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:42:30 +0000

[...] content…never mind, just keep reading) is a burgeoning idea. The fact that I spend a huge amount of time online need not be beneficial only to me. Like the spies going into Egypt and reporting of the abundance, [...]

By: Brittany Eryn Ward

Brittany Eryn Ward — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:33:55 +0000

Before entering your ECMP 300 class, I thought I was pretty up to date on technology. I emailed, I could text, I had an idea of what a things like a wiki and a blog were. After our first meeting, I was over my head with all of this technology talk. I was so intimadated but at the same time excited to learn more. I was so euthanistic with all the new tools I could introduce when I do have my own classroom. There was one problem with that though. The time issue and getting into the habit of bloging and keeping on top of technology and what it can help me with in the classroom. I am not at an awkward in between stage and I feel I will continue to be in that stage for the rest of my teaching career. To explain that statement a little further, nobody in my close circle of friends or family even knows what a blog is, so my first problem was how do I talk about it. The solution to that problem is with things like twitter and creating an online support system, but call me old fashion I like to discuss outloud face to face things like technology. My second problem is that technology in the classroom cannot be done without support from parents, students, and other staff. Depending on the school I am employed with I may not have a support staff and a few technology wizards that could help me out when I am having problems. A few other worries that go along with that are what if the students aren’t patient, what if a few parents disapprove, what if the staff are not keen on the idea. I think today technology has not been fully accepted into the classroom and I feel that more traditional methods are still focused on in school (example the ECMP 300 class is an elective for some education students). I guess then again you have the support of your online teaching community, but again I like to hash things out face to face. What I was planning on commenting on before this turned into a huge ramble about my fears is that you raised a strong point that needs to be taken into consideration that students are going to be experiencing different levels of technology in our classroom and how do we consider that and make all students comfortable with technology? How do we make others aware of the positives of technology and the extras it can bring to the classroom? Sorry my response was so off topic but after reading through a couple of your posts like the cell phone’s in school and the $100 dollar laptop this is the feeling and questions I am left with!

By: Saskboy

Saskboy — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:51:34 +0000

I try to unplug for at least a handful of days in a year. In my trip to Toronto last week, I didn’t take a laptop even though I knew I’d have highspeed in my hotel room if I wanted it. I was better off for it. I was more mobile with one less bag, and I spent more time in the “meatspace world” instead of seeing everything through my computer screen. Sure I probably missed hearing about a war somewhere, an election, or a dead celebrity, but it’s better to practice being “alive” like humans from 15+ years ago, than living those extra days “online”.

By: Cathy Nelson

Cathy Nelson — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:39:49 +0000

I too learn so much from my connectivity. My wonder is this. Does your family get aggravated with your semi connected-ness from home? Just recently my family said to me “do you realize you’ve been on your laptop ALL day?” It was a Sunday afternoon, and by golly they were vegging in front of the TV. Yep I was semi conscious of ball games and other stuff happening during the day’s events, but I was also semi tuned in to learning from my network. I didn’t really miss anything, and i was right there with them all day. But I did get the distinct impression they were feeling a bit neglected last Sunday. What can I say? it’s an addiction, and there are worse vices I could have.

By: Bud Hunt

Bud Hunt — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:39:15 +0000

I think that knowing, being downright absolutely certain, that I’m going to miss really interesting and wonderful people and experiences and knowledge and being okay with that is the biggest lesson I’ve learned over the last few years.

By: Britne Rockwell

Britne Rockwell — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:51:31 +0000

“While I enjoyed my break, didn’t really think about other stuff, when I did have a moment to think I wondered what was going on out there. What was I missing? I wasn’t learning [the] way I was used to.”

This really resonated with me. While I enjoy the occasional day or two of being “unplugged” – I’m not the same kind of person. I learn a lot from my “connected” life – blogs, Twitter, social networks, and the like. It’s integral, for me at least, to “keep up” in the field, to keep learning.
I feel like if I unplug for a day, I’m missing out on something great I could have learned.

Reading your post made me think for a minute – no matter what I *think* I’m missing out on, there’s still a lot that I know that I could share with others. Communication makes up the other half of the picture.

Sorry if my reply was also “no answers just ramblings and reflections” – you’re right, I need to work on communication as well, and articulate these thoughts.