Blog Post 10

Adventures in Pencil Integration
John Spencer

My view on the cartoon is how the paper and pencil are becoming obsolete.  The classroom is replacing the use of pen and paper with technology.  Computers cost more, but are more efficient in our schools.  Some educators refuse to use multimedia tools to teach our children.  The "expensive pencil" in education is teaching our children whether we like it or not.  Technology has a high start up cost in the beginning, but it pays off in reinventing the idea of education.

Why Were Your Kids Playing Games?
John Spencer

The principal asks the teacher, "Why were your students on computers?"  The principal had told him no more games as of a previous fiasco involving computers.  The principal felt like showing video simulations, reading, and drawing is not a part of learning.  The only way to learn is with the pencil and paper method.  He doesn't want anything to vary from his way.  The teacher wants the principal to give technology a try, but he is set on this way of educating the students.
Many teachers have the mentality of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Some how our old way of teaching is broken.  We are not educating our children if we can't keep their attention.  Technology is in our daily lives if we like it or not.  Why not use these tools to get our children involved and passionate about learning?  The start up of computers in our school may be costly in the beginning, but in the end they will pay off so much more by keeping our children involved.

Remember Pencil Quests?
John Spencer

In Mr. Spencer's sophomore year of high school, he and his classmates were told by their teacher that they were going on a pencil quest.  A pencil quest is a scavenger hunt in the textbook.  He said that the class will go to a specific page, read it, and then answer  questions. The assignment would be compared to a moving textbook.  The teacher was trying to keep the students involved and excited about the class assignment.
The pencil used pencil and paper, but it started a new course of learning in the classroom.  The same excitement about that pencil quest is the same about blogs today.
The use of the pencil quest was a way to keep the students engaged and motivated to learn in a unique way.  The teacher was trying to invent different alternatives to lecturing.  I thought it was an ingenious source of knowledge rather than using paper and pencil.  Now, the benefit of blogs and pen pal networks work better than any pencil quest.  The teacher was a pioneer of a new education.

Don't Teach Our Kids This Stuff.  Please?
Dr. Scott McLeod

Dr. McLeod is the Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency 8 in Iowa.  He has received numerous national awards for his technology leadership work.  He is on the National Board School Boards Association Center for Digital Education.  He also has written a book called, What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.  The argument that I think Dr. McLeod is trying to make is that, the children are using these technologies anyway why not incorporate them into our schools.  Use multimedia tools instead of shying away from social media.  If our children are using it, why not help facilitate these tools in the classroom?  Then, the children will understand and apply it in a better way.
I think Dr. McLeod is trying to tell everyone that each child is being social on either Facebook, Twitter, and other websites.  Our duty, as educators, is to help oversee the right way to benefit from social media.  Try to embrace the new and exciting way of teaching, and use it.  Bullying in our schools today is still a problem and can also be seen on different websites.  Today's technology has created a new avenue of bullying, cyber bullying.  The harassment of children in school and beyond the classroom shouldn't be taken lightly.  Social networking is here to stay so why not help direct the right path as educators.