Reflection on the Lesson Presentation

Although I am not a big fan of group presentations, I think that the lesson presentation with Veselina went well. Of course, there were things that needed to be ironed out, but I must confess, it is hard to teach a lesson to peers and imagine that they are 4th grade students in addition to introducing a lesson with another teacher. Nevertheles, it was a great experience.
The technology resources that Veselina and I used were BrainPop and the digital clock. The technology tool- BrainPop was chosen appropriately for the grade level and for the assumed technological literacy of the students. To differentiate for students of various reading/writing levels, the activities ranked from hard, to moderate, to easy. If this were to be a real classroom, we would have most likely split the students into groups based on their performance and reading/writing level.
One aspect of the planning of the lesson that I found challenging was the need for students to have a BrainPop account. However, since Veselina has already used BrainPop in her classroom, she was able to ease my mind by explaining that we only need one account. Most schools that use Brainpop as a technology tool have paid a fee for the use of the tool and both students and teachers can create their own account on Brainpop.
If I were to plan this lesson again, I would have design it somewhat differently. I would have began the lesson with a cork-board where the students can write down what they have learned from the introductory lesson on the American Revolution. I would have also asked the students to make predictions as to what might possibly happen between the Colonies and the British having in mind the topics discussed in the previous class. Afterwards, I would have played the video, re-capped the information, and asked for any questions. I would have asked the students to complete the activities in BrainPop and after they were finished, to share what they have written (since every group has a different activity). I would like for this lesson to involve the students, to get them to participate and take charge of their learning instead of quietly completing an assignment. After everyone has shared their activity with the class, I would split the class in two groups- the British and the Colonist and make them argue their point- Why should the Colonists obey King George III and Why the British should let the Colonies behave as independent entities from King George's rule? I want the students to actually think about the events and to make it more personal to them, I would have them argue their point.

Generation M^2

As I have shared from the very beginning, I am pro-technology in the classroom as well as out of the classroom and I believe that children should be exposed to technology as soon as possible since this is what 21st century literacy looks like. However, after reading the report "Generation M^2", I realize that technology is a double edge sword. The subjects used in this survey were between the ages of 8 and 18 years and were separated into 3 groups- heavy media users, moderate, and light media users. I am aware that there are young individuals out there, who have made technology their addiction, but I have never expected to see the numbers from the results of the survey that I saw neither have I thought that I will encounter relationships such as level of media usage and grades in school, or level and type of media usage and race. The survey shows that heavy media users are most likely to fail in school or to have poor grades. These individuals classified as heavy media users are, in addition, discontent with their lives and often find themselves bored. The relationship between age and media and type of media usage were also striking. The conclusions from the data are that 11-14 year olds get the most media exposure and media use compare to older and younger individuals. In respect to race and media, the Hispanic population has slightly higher media exposure compared to the White and Black populations. However, in regards to total media use, the Black population has higher use compared to the White and the Hispanic populations.
Regardless on age and race, the average hours youngsters spend using various types of media amounts to nearly an eight hour work day. However, by multitasking, or using several different forms of media at about the same time, the young generation used in the study is able to fit nearly eleven hours of media usage into seven and a half hours by multitasking. I suppose, in the case of an individual holding a full time job, fitting nearly eleven hours of work into an 8 hour work day would make that individual a hero in the work place.
Although I believe that technology is a blessing, I also know that everything done excessively is not good and I think the new generation has overstepped the norm of media usage by a long shot. Controlling media usage starts at home, as other important things such as the teaching of ethics. However, in the 21st century none of these two seem to be happening in the home, or at least, the results are not obvious.
I wonder what the world will come to if there is no electricity for a day, or a week, or a month. What will the media addict do without his addiction? Cell phone and ipod batteries can only last for so long. Then what? It may sound evil-minded, but I would love to see the day when children would play hide-and-seek on the street again instead of spending eight hours in front of a computer playing a game or what not.

Technology and 21st century Literacy

Going back twenty or so years ago, those who were able to read, write, listen and understand, reason, analyze information, and what not, would have pet themselves on the back and called themselves literate. Over two hundred years ago, the few who considered themselves literate would have looked at the rest of the not-so-civilized world and feel special. They would have had not the slightest idea that the meaning of literacy would spread its wings and soar in the next several centuries to follow. Literacy has come to mean, in addition to the above mentioned, something more. Literacy, as we define it today, is “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."(Wikipedia:Literacy)  However, to be literate today, one must be open to learn new skills, to be willing to adapt to the changes that occur in technology and to the way these changes shape the way we learn, communicate, work, and live.

Technology is a double age sword, however. Computers, for instance have the memory capacity of such greatness (I don’t know how many terabytes by now) and the ability of fast data retrieval, which no human can measure up to. I don’t know what you think, but I feel outrun by artificial intelligence. However, technology has become a part of our daily lives. It is a love/hate relationship where we manage not to check our Facebook today because it seems that it has become an addiction, but we must respond to that text message from our friend ASAP. Oh, I am talking funny again, or am I? It seems that the words in the English language are not simple and short enough, so we feel like more shortening is needed. On the waves of the network, there is no time to type long letters to let someone know that you will be right back. Why type all this when you can just write BRB. Talking about literacy, we rarely think about it, but computer language (and I don’t mean HTML or C++), has become a big part of our habits of writing. This however, could have a negative effect on the basics- English language grammar. Students become used to short-cuts such as col (cool), u (you) and they often type their school work this way as well.

On the bright side, technology has had many positive effects. “Advances in computing have expanded our capacity to solve problems at a scale never before imagined, using strategies that have not been available to us before.” (ISTE) However, students and teachers must keep up to date with these advances and learn and practice new skills such as computational thinking, in order for them to be able to take full advantage of the new opportunities that technology has made possible.

Constructivism and Technology- Advocates for Active Learning

My philosophy of education thus far reflects the Constructivist view of the learning process, which emphasizes the importance of active learning. In other words, it is crucial for students to be able to link new experiences and ideas into an existing schema. Since learning is reflective, constructive, and self-regulated students must be given the chance to facilitate their own learning and chose how to learn and how to demonstrate that they have learned. I do not believe students should be restricted into one form of learning since they are individuals who have preferences in the way they learn, aquire, and make sense of new information. If one accepts that every student is an individual with unique learning needs, then the curriculum and instruction should be re-visited and re-vised to fit the unique needs of each student. 
Differentiation is a big part of my philosophy of education. It is important for teachers to provide different avenues to accuring knowledge, making sense of information, and demonstrating learning. I believe technology in the classroom is a great tool both for teachers and students since it opens the door for opportunities that did not exist in the pre-tech society and the classroom. For example, when students are using technology as a tool or as a form of support to communicate with the others, they become active recipients of information. Students are able to make choices about how to generate, obtain, and analyze information, which helps them think critically and take charge of their learning. Constructivism and Technology both seem to be advocates for active learning. With students making choices and facilitating their own learning, the role of the teacher also changes as one transforms from being a dispenser of information and the center of attention in the classroom to being a facilitator and providing guidelines and support for students.
Technology has opened many door and given chances to the most disadvantaged (physically, emotionally, behaviorally, or mentally challenged) students to find a way to communicate and make sense of the world around them and for the rest of the world to know of them.