| Week # 12 |
[23 Nov 2004|06:27am] |
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I guess I have never really related reading and literacy to be taught to children through the use of computers. It is interesting though, because how can children learn the proper way to read and what literacy is all about when sitting at a screen. I think it is highly necessary for children to learn through actual books, because they can learn about order of the text, learn about the author, how a book is written and plainly take their time going through every page at their own pace.
I agree with Armstrong and Casement when they mention that “the child will gain the impression that print is something to be searched with maximum speed and efficiency for specific information,” (p.90). I think that when a child is reading on the computer, many problems can occur. They may not see all of the illustrations that would be presented in book, their computer may freeze or shut down in the middle of their reading and they may not be able to get back to it, and they may want to go back and look at it again and not be able to find it. All of these things cannot happen when reading a storybook.
When a child reads a story or is learning about literacy through software on a computer, they are also being socially isolated from others. When a storybook is read to a child, a conversation can occur between the child and adult. Questions could be asked and the child can definitely get more information and learning out of it, than by sitting at a computer by themselves. I think that it is ok for a child to learn literacy through the computer as well as through other forms of print. When a child is reading on the computer, I find it very necessary for an adult to be sitting with them so they can engage in conversation, and the child must take their time throughout the story, and not rush through it.
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| Journal #8 |
[02 Nov 2004|05:31am] |
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Up until now, I was a definite critic of computers in education and children using them to learn in the classroom. As I was reading this article, I found that a lot of the information that Scoter, Ellis & Railsback stated in the article, made lots of sense and changed my mind a bit on the usefulness of having computers in the classroom. Education has changed so many times over the years that we have learned to accept other technologies into the classroom, such as the tape recorder, the video camera, the VCR and the television. We think of those technologies as a normal part of our classrooms these days. So I guess you can say that computers is just the next step to another use of technology in the classroom that in ten years from now, we will all accept and think that it is normal to have one.
I agree with the authors when they stated that very young children have no use or meaning for computers at such a young age. But when it comes to the primary grades and older children, I think that computers in the classroom can benefit children’s learning. Every teacher needs to be educated on computers before they are brought into the classroom so they can learn the appropriateness of when and how to use them and what softwares are available that will actually educate the children in some way. I think that it is ok to have one or two computers in the classroom that the children can take turns using during free time/activity time. This is only if they have other choices of activities going on in the classroom that they can choose from. I do not agree with computer labs. At a young age, children do no need to all be sitting at computers at the same time and spending an hour on them. When computers are in the classroom, the children can use the computer with each other for a limited amount of time, while being able to get up and leave at any time.
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| WEEK #7 - What does this all mean? |
[20 Oct 2004|10:35am] |
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So once again I found that this article entails lots of terminology that I do not understand. As I was reading Nakamura’s article, my mind kept drifting because I couldn’t comprehend what the author was actually trying to state. After finishing the whole article I tried to put all of my thoughts together on what it all really meant.
The main ideas that I got out of this article was about racism on the internet. You would think after decades and decades of racial and gender discrimination in our “real” world, computers and technology would be considered like a safe house for people of all races and gender to be able to go on-line and not be stereotyped or discriminated against. I don’t believe that the “white palate” should be what people feel they need to be when on the internet. When minorities are using the internet or are in chat rooms, they should be able to be themselves (whoever they might be) and not have to worry about racism.
I think that this is why you do not see many women and racial minorities on the web or as knowledgeable as men about computers. I think that these groups are being portrayed by the media that computers are typically male or show women and minorities to be “afraid” of technology. It is like the ad on page 17 of the article where the African woman is holding a T.V on her head. It is showing that she is threatened by technology. This just goes to show that women and racial minorities are depicted as not to have the mind set of the typical “white American male” who uses technology to their advantage and think of the digital world to be the worlds mentor.
Just to relate the information in this article to early childhood education, we as educators are trying to teach children about multiculturalism. Now, when there is racism going on in the world and the world of technology, what message is that showing the children? They will be exposed to it no matter what in some way or another, but if we were able to stop or somehow help the discrimination on the net, children can learn that this is a safe place to go and they can be themselves
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[05 Oct 2004|06:21am] |
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Once again the world of technology has more effects on human beings. Computers have evolved very quickly over the years to the point where our education is becoming a cyber world. What is happening to sitting in a classroom with 25 other students and a teacher instructing and socially interacting with the children? Carmen Luke states in his article, “We know that students prefer collaborating around the screen, problem solving and information sharing as a group rather than working individually in isolation.” So if we know this, than why don’t we get the children to work in groups in the classroom, problem solving and information sharing about material objects that they can work with hands on rather than on the computer. There is just as much information in books and materials that the children can share with one another without using technology. This will keep the social, face-to-face contact with one another that they will need when they are older. I don’t think that using computers in the classroom is bad if it is limited and useful, but this thought of a “wireless school” scares me. We are taught in ECE that social interaction, play, and experiencing new things in the environment is very much needed for children to learn and build. I would think that the same thing would go for students of any school age as well. It is sad that teachers and students are on a different level when it comes to teaching and learning with technology. I think that having computers in the classroom is essential for some things but teaching the “old fashioned” way still needs to be present. Because technology is changing so fast, it is necessary for teachers to become educated about computers so they understand what is happening to the children of the 21st century.
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| MUDs? MOOs? MOOSE Crossings???? |
[27 Sep 2004|07:01pm] |
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Journal #3
MUDs? MOOs? MOOSE Crossings? All of these terms sound like interesting terms, but for me they are all just another addition to our technological and virtual lifestyles. These two articles were very interesting to read as I am learning about more new interactive ways to communicate on the web. In some way I agree and disagree with both authors’ ideas about MUDs and these online communities. First off when it comes down to children learning through the use of computers I can accept that to a certain extent. I agree with Rheingold when he states that “through these computer activities children are learning in a self-motivated, self-directed, peer-supported fashion.” But what if children can learn these skills without being confined to a computer screen? Self-motivation and self-direction are very important aspects of a child’s learning that they can be achieved through manipulating their environments and creating their own physical learning. I believe that children at a young age should not be sitting on a computer and creating these characters and worlds where it is said they are “learning”. This is because hands on experience with reality and real life objects are when the children will learn about life and the real world. The computer is a program and all of these virtual creations are programs, which are not real. You make up a character and change your identity to become something else. I think that children at a young age have a hard enough time as it is to fully understand life and reality, and to learn about their own identity. This is just adding another idea into their heads about fantasy and unrealism. On the other hand, I think that for college/university students and older people can benefit from these MUDs because they are able to use their creativity to become this character, and join communities where they interact with others. This is ok for adults because they already have the concepts of reality and fantasy and they use these MUDs for entertainment and for being able to construct something that is considered theirs and only theirs. Well those are my thoughts! That’s pretty much all I have to say at the moment.
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| BLOGS! An interesting way to communicate |
[14 Sep 2004|07:40am] |
Before last week, I have never heard of the word weblog. It never occurred to me that there are several different communities out there on the web sharing information, personal stories and communicating with millions of different people all around the world. When I started to understand the concept of what a blog is and how it works, I reacted to the feeling that people do this to feel a sense of belongingness with others that share the same interests. People who do not have such a social network in their lives, are able to go onto the computer and be a part of a community where they can learn and share information and gain a sense that they are part of this social network. Networking is very important in life, whether it is meeting new people, or collecting resources and information. Since blogging is very public, you are able to network a lot quicker and become familiar with more sources than you would imagine doing so without a computer. On the other hand, it is a little scary how technology is growing so much to the point where going out and meeting new people is not needed.
I like the fact that you can learn about something of interest from many different people, and instead of receiving a structured answer, you can receive different people’s opinions and perspectives on the topic.
I was not too fond of the idea that blogging is so public. Even at a university or college level, when using the “Open Classroom” idea, many students find it intimidating and are not comfortable with their work and ideas going public in front of all their classmates. I had a very hard time writing this journal, because I know that not only one person will be reading it. In some way you can gain from the experience of seeing how your peers react and comment on your ideas, but in another way, you may be holding back from saying what you really want to say because it may not sound good or may even sound stupid to others. Even though no ones opinions are stupid, insecurities may come in to play.
I believe that blogging can benefit many people, if they are able to understand that the information that they reveal can be read by anyone, anywhere. People have to realize that very personal information should not be revealed onto a blog and must know that there is a limit to what you say. This way of communication may not be good for young children to use because sometimes they do not know, or understand the limits to what they can reveal to the public.
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