Digital Blog E

"Will the child program the computer or will the computer program the child?" (Papert, pg. 56). This intriguing quote really made me stop and think. I've always had the mindset that everything I do with the young children I work with affects them, even if neither of us realizes it just yet. These young minds are absorbing so much at once and will retain things I say to them that I won't even remember saying - computers are no different. Students of all ages now have access to many types of technology that will help them progress academically and, in today's world, even socially. As working on computers will help expand their knowledge not only of technology, but of problem solving and working independently, students will continue to learn more about what computers are capable of each time and could eventually improve how easily some programs work. I have seen for myself problem solving and independence through navigating technology. Though this is very different from what a student might do in a classroom, recently I had issues with my dryer at home and was able to get it fixed without calling maintenance by finding tutorials, videos, and articles online (It has worked perfectly since!).

Concept-mapping software is a great tool for teachers to use as part of their daily activities. Programs like Kidspiration allow students to map out all sorts of ideas with personalized visuals and hands-on learning through a computer. Adding personal touches to school work, such as choosing what color font to use, will increase the student's focus on the task at hand by making disliked subjects more interesting. Students can use programs like this to make charts, graphs, or even to solve math problems as shown below! Another great mind-mapping tool that can be used on mobile devices is Mindly. This is also a great visual students can use to link their thoughts together, take notes, or brainstorm. I think the element of customization, such as choosing colors and shapes, is what will help students feel they have control of their learning environment.

An important part of teaching is getting your students attention with some sort of hook or interesting opening statement. What I found really interesting in the reading was the section about the video game club created for students in a high school. So many students have gaming systems or participate in some form of video games on a daily basis, so it is no surprise that two-thirds of the school in question were interested in this club (Maloy, pg. 176). Unlike my high school's video game club, the school mentioned in the book did not have its participants simply play video games during its time, but review their storylines, graphics, and overall gameplay. This club wrote reviews and even ended up designing their own game concepts; tasks most gamers would absolutely love! Clubs like these spark the students' creativity, keep their interest, and build social skills as friendly debates and predictions are made about what might happen next. While the basis of the club is video games, what was accomplished in this particular club was so much more!

Children in today's world are exposed to so many types of technology and at such a young age. Working on computers throughout their academic careers will ready them to tackle challenges both inside and outside of school. The programs students might use will help them further understand the concepts they are learning about in a fun, interesting way that may vary from what was learned in class (many times, a concept presented one way may not make sense to everyone!). Lastly, remembering to intertwine the students' interests with skills such as problem-solving, thinking outside the box, and thoroughly analyzing content will help advance students' sense of world and self. Extracurricular activities, in my opinion and as promoted in the text, should highly promote academic skills while still keeping the participants' attention.

Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Papert, S. (1996). The Connected Family: Bridging the Digital Generation Gap. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press.

TeacherTube Math (2009, August 28). Area Models for Multiplication Partial Products. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from https://youtu.be/mjYYbwuued0