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| "Grandfather's Birthday, 1849" (1849) by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller |
Do you think schools have evolved sufficiently in response to technologies of communication?
If the value of long experience and seasoned judgment is less important now than it used to be, should we think of the authority of teachers differently than we do?
Should schools emphasize technology more and give less importance lectures given by “old timers” and information conveyed through old technologies (like books)?
The evolution of school curriculum has indeed been spurred by the growing use of higher technology that is constantly advancing. I believe that schools have evolved sufficiently in response to these advances, especially with online classes and internet software, but I also think that people should still understand the importance of experienced teachers. With that importance comes authority that students must respect, and later with time, even gain themselves. Yes, technology creates fields that may not require seasoned expertise, but there will always be something to learn or something to teach. Elders may not be able to explain the present day world as well as they could have forty years ago, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be an authoritative figure in society. As for schools, I think it is beneficial to keep updated with technology, simply because it is a huge part of an every-day lifestyle. However, I am old fashioned when it comes to the importance of oral lectures in teaching. I believe there should be a firm medium of learning through new technology as well as old technologies. As the world continues to change, new technology will dominate and the value of experience will decrease, but I will always think of elders to hold wisdom, perhaps not in technological world, but in areas of the heart and mind – which matter more to most.
ReplyDelete--Haley Odell
During an ever-changing and evolving economy we see more people brought up on technology and computers. I have always been this way and fortunately do to the generation I was raised in I was able to have that convenience of using a computer to do my homework and time-consuming projects and essays. Schools should always be up to date with the latest gadgets and Microsoft tools/processes. And with that students should have deep respect towards teachers and professors alike because of their enriched and deeply knowledge-full minds. They took time out of their lives to be where they are now and I believe that take guts to do that and a lot of time and effort and energy too.
DeleteHaley, I completely agree with your statement that “elders may not be able to explain the present day world as well as they could have forty years ago, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be an authoritative figure in society.” I believe our generation often discredits the pertinence of senior citizens’ advice because of the rapid manner in which our world is changing. Despite this change, I believe that there is a tremendous difference between knowledge obtained through Google and knowledge gained through past experience. I also believe, however, that there is a fine line between respecting experience and acting upon blind faith. It is imperative that our society finds ways to incorporate aged wisdom into an increasingly technological setting without dampening forward progress.
DeleteSchools have to emphasize technology more and more as the world continues to advance. If school's don't do so, they're not properly preparing their students for the future. But of course, I doubt anyone could say that the knowledge of elders is not important. If they don't teach us what they know (whether through books, lectures, etc.), then we're going to be in a continuous circle of trying the same things they've already done, with no advancement. For example, I'd take my father's advice (who has never been to college) over a college graduates, simply because my dad has better judgement based on his greater number of world experiences. I believe that most schools understand this necessity, and will continue a balance between technological communication and the lectures of real-world experiences by the older generations (..even if these lectures are distributed electronically!).
ReplyDeleteAge and experience sometimes go hand and hand like you said. Having a father myself that has never been in college- I would take his judgment over the valedictorian of my graduating class (I actually had more than one in mine). My father has more street and book knowledge and due to the variety of jobs he's had he has a better understanding of what a employer wants to find in his employees and how to achieve that. So basically my father is sort of more worldly enriched than even my highly intelligent classmen.
DeleteSchools have evolved quite a bit as there are now classes that can be taught completely online line, even in high school. During my Junior year, the Spanish class was completely online, as opposed to having an actual instructor. The teacher that supervised the class didn't even know Spanish. While many students would think that this was great, the class was actually harder because the students didn't have a solid guide to help them when they were stuck. My friend that had the class with the Spanish teacher and then the online class actually said that he was having more trouble because no one could help him catch the mistakes that he was making. While it is a good thing that technology has advanced as far as it has, and is continuing to do so, it isn't always a good thing. I know for a fact that I have an easier time learning things like math and languages when I have a book and a teacher to help me when I struggle. Even though schools should give emphasis on technology, they should also not forget the old-fashioned way of teaching that involves a book and a competent instructor.
ReplyDelete-Kathryn Gragg
I have never been in your predicament but I have had online classes that were rather difficult due to the fact that I could not see the teacher and the material that was given to me was rather new to me. This really only happened in my first fall semester at ECU. It was not that I didn't attempt to finish my college work it was just that I was trying to adjust to a class without a professor. I understand that technology affects and impacts schools nationally and the ways to teach in the classroom. I am very thrilled to see where technology takes us next!!
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ReplyDeleteThe school system should uplift and respect the authority of teachers and the assistance of computers, programs, and online tools that help educate students. In today's world we see the that schools are easily updated to the latest technology based tools. Books and traditional teaching should be a part of the school system for many more generations but should stay relative to the common culture and the society of the day. "Old-Timers" is just another word a teacher that is known as and they should be seen as wise and influential people that are there to continue to find better ways to teach and educate the students.
ReplyDeleteI have read magazines and articles based on the topic of school and the evolving field of computers and the internet. I see schools staying relative to days to come and I am very thrilled to see such bright students taking up the spot of improving the school system by forming very interactive clubs that promote cooperation and teamwork within the schools. This shows adults that students want and desire the "best" school life possible and are willing to get their by any means possible. If authority listens and takes action they will see more willingness from the students to achieve their highest potential in academics and possibly strive to apply for different types of scholarships. This all can be done by constantly keeping up with the latest "tech" advancement.
DeleteFrom my personal experience, public schools have not evolved into the use of communication technology enough. Many teachers at the schools I attended during middle school and high school could barely work their projectors, and often seemed a bit prejudiced against anything with a screen. They rarely ever integrated online lectures or articles, even though things like that are at all of our fingertips nearly constantly nowadays. With things like the internet, and having access to thousands upon thousands of lectures and journals and biographies, personal experience and judgement are more valuable than they ever have been before. Anybody can return information given enough study, but you need guidance and teaching to be able to apply that information, something a standardized system can't always give. Schools should find a balance between lectures from teachers and textbooks and giving alternate views on the matter with lectures online and published articles and journals, so that students can get enough of the scope of subjects to apply it in the future.
ReplyDeleteFrom my personal experience, public schools have not evolved into the use of communication technology enough. Many teachers at the schools I attended during middle school and high school could barely work their projectors, and often seemed a bit prejudiced against anything with a screen. They rarely ever integrated online lectures or articles, even though things like that are at all of our fingertips nearly constantly nowadays. With things like the internet, and having access to thousands upon thousands of lectures and journals and biographies, personal experience and judgement are more valuable than they ever have been before. Anybody can return information given enough study, but you need guidance and teaching to be able to apply that information, something a standardized system can't always give. Schools should find a balance between lectures from teachers and textbooks and giving alternate views on the matter with lectures online and published articles and journals, so that students can get enough of the scope of subjects to apply it in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy high school was fairly well caught up with various technologies. We had decent computers with internet, and teachers who largely were able to take advantage of the resources available. However, this is not always the case. In general, I don't believe public schools are all at the point where these various technologies are used or used well/effectively. I have been in schools that barely had computers, and many of the computers were old. I have also seen schools where the students have to be the ones who maintain the computers, because the school employees either don't have the time, or because they don't really know what all needs to be done to keep the computers and related technology up-to-date and functioning. Situations such as those show that while some schools have it figured out, public schools as a whole still have a long way to go before communication technology is being used effectively in classrooms.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Kramer
I believe that school should be a balance of learning through the wisdom of elders and modern technology. Elders and books teach us about experience. Some very valuable information can be obtained by just listening to someone who has dealt with similar circumstances, and many times this cannot be found online. On the other hand, with technology constantly advancing, schools need to be open minded toward the use of technology to gain knowledge. My high school was not as technologically advanced as some others, though we were not stuck in the dark ages. Other than the case of an occasional research paper, our learning did not rely heavily on computers. We would use smart boards, but the teachers really only used the technology to project a power point they made using the textbook. The textbook did hold valuable information, but I believe that if the teachers would have used sources from the internet, the learning process could have been expanded upon. With this being said, I still believe that the teachers should hold a level of authority. They have experiences with learning that the student do not. Since they hold a higher level of knowledge, they should still be in the authoritative roll, even when technology presents new information that they may not have.
ReplyDeleteSchools have done a poor job of implementing communication technology into their curriculum. Who is to blame on this is questionable however. While it is the school's responsibility to make sure that they have a knowledgeable computer literacy teacher, it can't as of now be a job requirement for all teachers to be technologically savvy. This is where a breakdown occurs, because if all teachers can't properly blend communication technology into the curriculum as it should be. As a student myself, I can remember all of the failed attempts by teachers to use fancy new equipment such as a smartboard, without ever being taught how to operate it. Eventually they always fell back to using the chalkboard, while equipment as expensive as a used car lay almost always unused. It isn't the fault of the faculty, the system is what needs an update, the way a teacher learns to teach needs to be altered.
ReplyDeleteThe value of long experience and judgement has not been lost, its significance is what has been altered. Our society has taken a tremendous misstep in what it places its efforts into. The pursuit of acclaim has replaced knowledge as its primary goal. This doesn't mean that experience and knowledge are second rate pursuits, they are just no longer the popular or primary choice. Professor should be continued to be seen with authority, a person of great knowledge from whom we can learn from if we choose to. They shouldn't be held in any lower regard just because their ultimate pursuit is different than the general public's, because I don't believe it makes their knowledge any less important.
I found the dilemma of technology meeting older staff in my high school as well. However, in this case if the staff that couldn't integrate the newer technology (this case it was an ipad) they were terminated. The school had it's priorities very much set in favor of technology.
DeleteWe began losing veteran teachers left and right. It was a sad sight to behold. When the teacher feels threatened the students suffer. Little to nothing was being done.
I don't have any statistics to say it was definitively worse, but the atmosphere was overwhelmingly negative. I think an experienced teacher with the tools they can handle work best.
There has to be a happy medium. Yes, we live in a world where technology is almost a necessity, but nothing can compare to the qualities that a good teacher can bring. It is essential for student to learn how to operate modern day technology, so teachers should not overlook that. For example, students need to understand how to operate Microsoft Office. A Computer Apps teacher can't teach this with a typewriter, so the teacher should adapt to modern technology and embrace it.
ReplyDelete