Technology - Is it good or bad for the environment?

Con:

Technology, by its name, doesn't seem related to the great outdoors. Sitting inside in front of a computer doesn't allow you to appreciate the environment, since you aren't there! The more technology we get the less we think about the health of the environment.

Pro:

Technology has a natural connection with the environment. Virtual learning, shopping, paying bills, and bringing videos to you all contribute to using less resources. We use less gasoline, less paper, and are able to see all around the world with virtual reality.

Taking it all in.

Reading blogs about the new technology, about using more technology in class and how it fits or doesn't fit into teaching in the 21st century makes me realize that if I hadn't been taking these classes would I just be "clueless" or happy to be "clueless". I'm able to answer technology questions my students have, talked about creative commons and how it works for us all, and even helped my husband with some technology in his job. The ability to be able to even understand some of the terminology has helped me a lot.

The imovie

I've been struggling with this one. Not sure how to embed the movie- and if it even is saved on the internet archive. I see my name and the title but I can't get it to play. I'm freaking out just a bit.

podcast

I was relieved when my podcast was able to actually be heard on my wiki page. I was surprised how much I enjoyed learning about it.

Future of online learning?

The Edutopia survey about where we think online learning will be in 20 years brings to my mind the cartoon The Jetsons where everyone was flying around in their own personal power-pack on their back. Well, perhaps we are actually moving as fast as the predictions made in the 60's. This relates to our 3rd issue of social networking with our students. Technology is changing so quickly that perhaps in another 10 years we'll be laughing about the concerns about social networking with students. Perhaps we'll be communicating almost exclusively through virtual education- won't that add to the blurring of lines with communication with students. I'm only beginning to grasp the potential for technology in all aspects of life, including education.

Assessments

Since we're going to be taking the next class which is about assessments I paid more attention to blog posts having to do with just that. I do think that a simple test isn't really all there is to knowing if a person understands the subject. How to use the information, to analyze the information given and then use this information an act on it is real critical thinking assessment. The science portion of the ACT is an example of that- yes it is a test but doesn't really test that they know specific science facts as much as testing their ability to analyze data given, read graphs and tables, read closely and compare information given. President Obama's call for richer assessments will make us rethink the test taking mentality of teachers, we need to be flexible and creative to develop new innovative ways to assess student understanding.

Moodle

I just got signed up for a moodle account at my school. I haven't actually used it yet but I think I've got the courage to try! As our textbook said we needed to feel comfortable on our own using this new technology before we try to introduce our students to it. I know there are teachers at my school that already use it so some students will be familiar. I also think the wiki feature on the moodle would be a good method for collaborative work.