Journal #1

Finding new ways to connect:
Professors adjust their methods to reach technology-savvy generation.
By: Eleanor Yang Su of The San Diego Union Tribune

This was an interesting article about the use of technology for the Y generation. Technology is a common issue among College students these days, for everyone seems to be dependent on it to function in life. This article was neat because it got you into the life of teachers and students from UCSD who are using technology such as Instant messenger, email, myspace, ipods, all while trying to get good grades on their course work. The answer: Multitasking. The debate about multitasking got me to think if Multi tasking is a positive thing. To Neuro-Scientist, it is not beneficial. I really like the use of the “Clicker” in the classroom. That would be so neat to have in the classroom. Gordon Clanton, sociology teacher at SDSU, had an interesting thought about the use of technology, saying that it’s, “dumbing down the instruction”. This got me to think, is technology good for only some classes? I think the answer can be found in the next paragraph. Here, Diana Oblinger who works for, Educause a non profit organization that promotes the use of technology in classrooms, believes that effective technology use is when it engages the student. This makes since, there needs to be some type of engaging reflective work for any assignment to be effective. The other question is how we can use the clicker in a history classroom. I think this device can be so useful in the years to come, especially for quick interactive lecture discussions. You ask the students a question and they can confidentially answer it using the clicker. That is so neat. I hope the school I work for will have $ in the budget to afford those. :)