Module 2 Post 1

I think the recent developments in technology have ignited a forced evolution rather than an evolution that is being gracefully accepted. In the PBS video one of the traditional style English teachers stated that, "I feel like I am fighting the good fight," while another History teacher was visibly embracing all of the accepted technological advances. Why does one teacher feel like technology is a thing that needs to be fought, while another teacher feels like technology is here, might as well embrace it? Is that English teacher fighting a battle because she is personally fighting a battle with technology, while the other is more easily understanding it? Bottom line is that if society did not rely so heavily on technology, and if the younger generations did not rely so heavily on technology, I do not believe that schools would feel the pressure to integrate it into their curriculum. Another interesting point of discussion was the use of online resources to skip out of reading a whole book. My personal take on that is that in a future students professional life, is there going to be a time when they do not have access to the internet for information or for a quick resource? Probably not. So, I agree with the History teacher in the PBS documentary that commented on the fact that we need to decide what is really cheating and what is not. Technology is only going to be relied on more heavily, not only with a students "work" life but also with their social life. The social life of today's teenagers is continuous. There is not a break. One student stated that he would read books more if he had the time. I don't think not having time is the issue, I think that it is time management, and the fact that teenagers today are bombarded with social media on a continuous basis. If a student watches TV, goes to the store, goes to the mall, what do they see? Most likely they will see signs like, "Like us on Facebook" "Follow us on Twitter" "Shop online for more options." Society is pulling people toward their computer and encouraging continuous computer use. Even as an adult you can save a percentage on some of your bills if you switch to online paying and paperless bill statements.  Technology and the internet are not going to leave and the amount of computer usage without face to face interaction is going to get worse. So now the question becomes management. How are we going to teach our students and children to effectively and responsibly manage online education and social media?