Technology in the Classroom

One quote that I found significant in Spaceman Spiff was, "It's a sea of electronic media out there. And our kids are submerged in the sea with their eyes, ears, minds, hearts and imaginations wide open, swimming through media, devouring the media, seeing themselves reflected in the media". Electronic media is everywhere and the kids are accessing it at home, a friend's house or at a store. They can not move away from this abundance of media until they come to school. School is a place where the students do not see much of the electronic media; instead they see books, pencils and paper. These are not objects of the students everyday world once they leave school. Instead they will go home and start using and looking at whatever electronic media that they have access to. That is why it is now so important for the teachers to use this knowledge of electronic media.

Students in the incubation room at the Woodbine Ag...

Group of Woodbine Agricultural School students, Wo...

Auburn University students at ASAP conference

With this knowledge teachers should begin planning their lessons using an abundance of electronic media. The students know how to use this type of media and it is a lot more exciting for students to use. The students will begin learning and understanding the material a lot better if this type of instruction begins to be incorporated into the classroom. The students will be able to bring so much to their learning with the knowledge of media. They will be able to research topics on the Internet and do projects on the computer to show understanding of material covered in the class. This is another way for the students to show their knowledge without doing a paper and pencil test. If teachers shut their doors to electronic media they are shutting the doors on their students. Students want to use technology; it is exciting to them.