Many of the videos I watched this week as we looked at using Google+ in the classroom got me thinking about my future as a progressive educator. The public schools I have been in contact with are sooooooooooooooooooooooo far behind and clearly not ready to fully engage learners with technology, I fear I will have to make my case with private schools. After watching this video, I wonder what the number are for Illinois? 10-12-14 I'm going to need more practice with Google+ hangout to get the hang of it, pun intended Ha Ha. :-) Having my class circle got a question answered without me asking it. How cool is that! Being more familar with Skype, I wanted to show my computer screen, not just my face to my partner. I also have a democratic classroom rant I want to share with a larger audience so.... to answer the question: Why wouldn't you want to let your student use social media in the classroom? I have this answer: If we are looking for bodies to fill prison cells, if we want to produce drones who will watch Reality TV and football instead of monitor our elected officials and demand they be accountable for their actions, use our schools to prepare them for jobs that don't exist in this country anymore. Prepare them for jobs that pay by the hour so they will have to work so many hours to put food on the table they will have little time for anything else. If we aren't training them to use the technology at their fingertips to do more than play Angry Bird... we may as well give them that orange jumpsuit. As educators, if we spend all our time having them learn facts they can find with a Google search in 5 seconds, It leaves no time for them to question authority, create connections with like minded people or start an uprising. What is wrong with connecting, collaborating, creating, sharing? Google+ used in the classroom can do all that. The one thing that Google+ can't insure is control of the results. And we can't have that, can we? |
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AuthorHi, I'm Lois and teaching is my final career. It is a privilege to help students to close the achievement gap. Too many learners, young and old alike, need new skills and new ways of learning to meet the demands and challenges of the information age. Archives
May 2015
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