An iPod Classroom?

Journal Entry # 2

I think that I would learn well using an iPod to watch video lectures, but not as well as I would in a normal person-to-person seminar. I would benefit from using the iPod the most by exploiting the privilege of being able to rewind. Unlike sitting in a class, struggling to take notes, I would be able to rewind or watch the video as many times as I like. But even with these abilities to my advantage, I would still prefer the less technological approach, with a teacher in front of me. This is because, if I have a question, I can ask it. If I were to use an iPod, I would feel pressured to understand everything from the video alone. But when in a classroom with a teacher, I can ask questions or ask for further explanations. IPods may be more convenient, but they are not personal, as I believe they should be.

Although using the iPods would be “more interactive and more self-directed”, I do not think that Mary Ward, even with its commitment to self-directed learning, should embrace this technology. I think it would be a step too far. There is self-directed learning, as Mary Ward is now, and then there is just learning by yourself. If students had the opportunity to use iPods, they would take advantage and use them for purposes besides that of their education. It would be very easy to watch other videos or listen to music without the teacher noticing. You would not be able to tell if the student was reviewing a seminar, or slacking off. IPod seminars would most likely prove to work against what is required for the students to learn. Although large amounts of vital information would be made available right under a student’s fingertips, there is a very low chance they would actually watch it. Unlike person-to-person seminars where the teachers know if you showed up or not, nobody would know if you decided not to watch the video. Also, the students knowing the seminar is available to them 24/7, would easily take their time in getting around to actually watching it.

Using iPods to hold teacher lectures and seminars does not go without its advantages. Students would no longer have to worry about missing an important seminar ever again. They would either be able to finish their work early, and view the seminar without wait, or take their time to get it right knowing the seminar will still be there when they are ready. IPods would also become very useful to those students who cannot sit through an entire seminar in class, or are easily distracted. The seminar videos would be able to be paused, rewound, and fast forward.

Using iPods to teach would provide students with a freedom to learn like never before. But would it be too much freedom? Would the students pay instead of benefit? I think it does, but that does not necessarily mean it is so. It depends largely on the person actually using the iPod. So, would you benefit?

With The GOOD, Comes The BAD

Journal Entry Question #1

Communication technology has advanced exponentially all over the world and especially in the last decade. You could have a relative living on the other side of the Earth, and all it would take to reach communication with them would be a few seconds. Imagine how it was in the 1800's where the only way to communicate besides spoken word, was through letters. Letters, that would take months or even a year to deliver depending on the distance between sender and receiver. Could you live like that? The answer, almost certainly, would be no. Not now, when we all have grown up accustomed to having the liberty to almost limitless and instantaneous communication. One of the most common forms of communication among teenagers today is MSN.

MSN is an instant messaging program used by thousands, and brings with it many positive privileges. MSN can be downloaded without charge and can be used to talk to others all over the world for free. Teenagers use MSN mostly to talk to their friends, and it can be very valuable when one needs to send important information. Unlike email, which can take a while to go through the internet, MSN is instantaneous and can be used to send pictures and\or files directly through converstaions. MSN can also be a very useful tool if you are trying to learn how to type, or increase your typing speed.

But MSN also has its disadvantages. Although it can promote typing ability, it decreases the users' gramatical skills and encourages slang and word short cuts. MSN also has addictive aspects to it. Over time, the users begin to develop a dependence. MSN is a non-personal form of communication. When talking to someone using MSN, you don't have to see the other person, and emotion can be very hard to read. Because of this invisible wall that provides a form of protection, it is much easier to talk to other people. And sometimes what is said to others, can be very unkind, especially when you do not see the other's reactions.

Technology is continuously advancing, and over time there will be communication programs far beyond that of MSN's. They will provide us with the ability to complete things faster and seemingly make our lives easier. But even through all this, we must remember that too much can be a bad thing, and we must never become too caught up.

With the GOOD, comes the BAD!