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Constructing Learning

Technology is such a huge part of the world now. I can look back and remember a time when my family did not even own a computer. Also, in the classroom, the most technology that we had was an overhead projector and playing "The Oregon Trail" on the computer. I believe that technology is such an important factor in the classroom. It is a part of everyday world and students need to learn how to use it. There are also many benefits for teachers as well. You can have much better communication with the students and parents at all times. Another thing that is good is time. It is much quicker to do something on the computer then by hand. It is also much easier to stay organized. Everything that you need is in one spot. It can make life much less stressful in the classroom. Something cool that I like about technology in the classroom is having the access to things that you normally wouldn't be able to do. As a class, you can take a virtual fieldtrip anywhere in the world. How else would kids be able to see those things? Technology in the classroom is a must. I am sure that sometime not too far from now, technology will have overtaken everything.

One Eyed Invader in the Bedroom

I was a child that had a TV in my bedroom. I was allowed to pretty much watch what I wanted. My parents were very open with me and trusting. I never had a desire to want to watch anything really bad. This article was interesting to me because it made me think of my own childhood and my parents. Did they make a mistake by allowing myself and my brothers to have a TV in our bedrooms? Being an adult now, and an adult that is pursuing a career working with children, I can see both sides to this debate.

I have survived a childhood with a TV in my bedroom. Ironically enough, I no longer have one in my bedroom. To be quite honest, it was a hard adjustment to make. I got used to the quiet hum of the voices on the TV to help me drift to sleep. The silence was eerie and made it hard to relax (especially because I live alone). But, I was able to do it! When I was a kid, I loved having a TV in my room. It gave me my freedom to watch the shows that I loved, even when the rest of my family didn't like it. I also would watch shows in the morning while I was getting ready and it helped me start the day. I had my parents trust and never gave them a reason to not. This included me having a TV in my room. I knew it was a priviledge, but most of my friends had one as well.

I do see that it could be a bad thing. Kids could be watching inappopriate things. They also could be staying up very late and not sleeping and that could affect their school work. Parents are not able to see exactly what they are doing and the regulate the use as much when it is in their room. It is a hard thing to break the habit of as well.

I think that TV in the room depends on the kids that have it. As long as they are able to control themselves and are honest with their parents about those things and have limitations, I don't see it being an awful thing.