Thing 5

Reading Teachers 2.0 showed me that teachers are always finding different ways to use technology in learning. Most students learn better when technology is involved because it is second-nature to them. When you grow up in a home in 2011 that has atleast one computer, tv, ipod/ipad, cell phone, and gps, you are bound to use the elements that are convenient to you. For example, I will openly admit that I do not own a dictionary in today's world. Flipping through pages to find the spelling of the word doesn't seem like my cup of tea. I normally use the "T9" feature on my phone to find the spelling of a word. Who doesn't have their phone at their side every second of the day anyway? No matter how wrong I spell it, it will usually show you the correct spelling. I think relying on technology such as a cell phone or computer is just as good and better than the ways of the past.

According to Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators, 55 percent of children with the age of 12 through 17 use social networking for communication on the Web. I am  few years past that, and I have always used social networking to socialize with friends, update my vocabulary and knowledge, and do school work one way or another. As an adult and future teacher, I am always trying to find ways to research faster and more efficient, socialize in a more convenient way, and come across facts I didn't know. As a future teacher, it is my job to know all these things and educate my students and peers for the greater good of education.

"School 2.0" is near and dear to my heart. It means to me that learning and education can now be technology based. As a current student, it means that my education can be furthered anywhere I go whether it is at school, home, the library, or using wifi at McDonalds. Learning can now be done anywhere with the Web. I think schools of the future will find more and more ways to incorporate their ipads, cell phones, and blogs in the classroom. Instead of banning cell phones from class they should make a clickers app where students can use their cell phone to select answers to a problem that the teacher has on the board. This could also be connected with something each student has like an email account to integrate technology in the every day lesson. With the app, the teacher can for that period of time control the use of each cell phone. That is an example of how things near and dear to a student can be used in a productive way.