Is there a certain age that technology should be introduced to students in the classroom? Personally, I think there should be limits in the classroom. I don't necessarily think that there is "too young". Children need to learn basic skills of society such as communication not using technology. Although this is true, the kind of technology used needs to depend on the age of the students.
Going through elementary school, technology was not an everyday tool and I made it okay. I think I am intelligent. Not until junior high and high school did I really start using technology. I even had a typing class in 7th and 8th grade. I'm great with technology and I feel like I can communicate well with others without using technology. 
I think teachers should introduce younger students to technology gradually. We should acclimate students to technology instead of just giving them a computer or iPad and let them go. However, students in early elementary should not have technology incorporated into every lesson. 

This video shares many great examples of the uses of technology and why it is important. Take a few minutes to watch! It is very insightful. 



Also, on a different note, please take time to watch this video. I was outraged. It is about Akian, a 10 year old student with autism that is bullied by his teachers and teacher aides. His father wire tapped him to find out why Akian was lashing out. I know it is 17 minutes but you should really watch it. 

 

Anyone out there!? (Besides you getting a grade on this)

Honestly, I don't know if anyone else is reading my blogs, besides the students required to do so. I mean, personally, I don't blame them. It's not like I have an interesting topics to put up here. I could, but it wouldn't relate to teaching. I'm not a blog comment magnet.
Anyways, I read peoples blogs and yes, we were thinking along the same lines. That wasn't really surprising that we had similar ideas, I mean, for the most part we are being trained to be teachers and have taken the same classes. I think it is reassuring to get comments on my blog, and to comment on others too. One thing that was interesting was that for the people that I know in person, I could really see them saying the things they were saying. I thought it was weird, but it is true, your blog really expresses you and should have your voice in it.

I think blogging can be great to get students to express their ideas and interact with one another. Since I'm going to teach Math and Science, I'm not sure how useful blogging will be for my students, but you never know. 


<---- This is how I imagine you reading my blog.

In my Computer Tools class, we have been focusing in on Constructivism. What exactly is Constructivism? Well Google tells me that it is:

"an educational philosophy which holds that learners ultimately construct their own knowledge that then resides within them, so that each person's knowledge is as unique as they are".

Okay, so we have a formal definition but what does it mean to me? I see students working on their own and/or together, answer their own questions and discovering new ideas. This can also involve a lot of scaffolding, where the teacher supports the student in learning, less and less over time, until eventually the student is on their own. 

I mean a classroom that contains 100% Constructivism is almost impossible in reality, especially when now-a-days we have tons of testing ultimately leaving us "teaching to the test", as they say. I have had many classes where I was required to venture off on my own and discover new things, question them and develop new ideas. I'm not exactly sure if this is the case with everyone, but maybe it was because my school was big on unique experiences and I was in honors classes all through school.

Considering my experience with Constructivism, there are pros and cons. I believe all students should discover and learn on their own, developing schema to categorize their knowledge. That's how people learn and retrieve best, their own developed schema. I also think that in the beginning we should not leave students on their own in the very beginning. Students always need guidance and monitoring during their span of learning. I definitely think I will apply the idea of Constructivism to my class in some aspects.