1+Reflective+Journal+November+2nd

Reflective Journal for the Week of November 2nd This weeks assignments were very helpful. I have never been exposed to Wikis other than Wikipedia, and I never really used Wikipedia other than to search for general information. I had always felt that Wikis were just a way for people to relay false information or add to an already innacurate article. However, I can now see how this could be a useful tool in the classroom. User created content is now making up such a large portion of the internet, it's amazing to me that we are not encouraging students to create "user created content" in the classroom.

Also, as I was reading through the article, "The 21st-Century Digital Learner," I was struck by an item that really got me thinking. I realized that students today have so much stimulation going on around them at home. They have video games, ipods, TV, the computer, and other gadgets to keep them occupied during much of their time at home (and sometimes all at the same time). When they enter the school building, they are expected to not need that much stimulation and to just use their brain. In that respect, school become "shut down" time. It makes me wonder if some of the cases of ADD and ADHD are perhaps just kids who cannot adjust to the lack of stimulation that some schools or classes provide to them.

Every article I read or video I watch, I'm further convinced that 21st Century education is a must in all classrooms. In my college courses, I'm given so many different technological activities to complete. We are attempting to prepare kids for the "real world," but we are not even preparing them for college.

My last reflection piece is about using just an "old-fashioned" website for the class. I recently built a website for my classes assignments and reminders. It is amazing how even a small gesture like that helps students stay on task and organized. My students are more likely to check my website than they are to read a message written on the board. This doesn't scare me, but I realize now that chalk and chalkboard just aren't good enough for 21st Century learners.