Resonse to the response to the article we originally responded to (Reading Response 3)

1.  a) There is no evidence to support the arguments being made
     b) Author should have told both sides to the stories, not just blatantly favour one side
     c) There are huge cultural factors that affect each area differently

2. I do.  In some cases, there are teachers who are more "in tune" with today's kids and understand they learn differently.  On the other hand, there are teachers who expect students to be exactly like they were when they were students.  Some teachers have to realize that things are changing, including the ways some kids feel comfortable learning.

3. I think that Mr Tapscott's article better understands technology and our generation.  He does more research into the topic, and comes up with better anecdotes.

For example, in the first article, the author writes how "Vishad starts his homework at 11 pm".  This is seen as a negative.  However, Mr Tapscott sees that the whole day was spent by Vishad editing something for two hours, a skill that he wants to pursue as a career.  Mr Tapscott understands that even though the technology might have prevented him from doing his homework, this technology might also be what he works with as a career, and therefore the time was well spent.

Reading Response 2

1. Nicholas Carr
I agree with his response.  Multitasking is not a bad thing, and it is very helpful in a variety of situations.  However, our society is contantly multitasking, and this is taking a huge toll on us.  We are not giving our bodies enough time to rest; instead, we are expecting our bodies to handle more and more tasks.  This is overwhelming us in a harmful way.

I agree with his solution.  It is melancholy to see the number of youths who have not read a novel outside of school in their lifetime, because of the technological distractions that are available to them.  If we disconnect ourselves from the powergrid of distraction, then our minds will start to relax and a lesser toll will be taken on our bodies.

2. Gary W. Small
I think that Mr. Small is being a little unrealistic.  He wants people to stop multitasking, to say it bluntly.  As we advance,  our society is going to be demanding multitasking more and more.  I think that a better solution would be to learn to deal multitasking, and to make the act of doing multiple things at once more efficient.
It is inevitable that we will be continuing multitasking in the future, so we must learn how to multitask better, not to stop multitasking. 

I do, however, agree with him that we should disconnect ourselves from technology once in a while.  It will be a nice break, and will "recharge our batteries".

Overall, I think it is important to manage the technology we have and make sure it does not overwhelm us.  Taking breaks from technology will have benifits that everyone will be thankful for.

Web Design Project Placement.

I would like to be in the video group.  I was in the group when we made the Futureshop video, and I feel like I made a good contribution.  I gave ideas and helped direct Vlad when he was acting.  Also, I was in the lion costume in the video.

The only one I would not like to be in would be the website group.  I have no experience with it and I feel a much better contribution could be made by me in the video group

Article Response - Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

I can definitely see the point that the researchers in the article are making.  The Internet, along with other technology, are definitely distractions that lower the academic interest of students.  What student could resist the lure of video games?  Distractions such as Youtube, Facebook and video games are much more appealing options than time-consuming homework.   In my opinion, kids today are more obsessed with things that will affect them in the now:  facebook (social interactions), video games and youtube (leisurely please) and others.  They do not care so much for things that will affect them in the future, i.e. grades, homework, scholarships etc...

When I play video games, I have one cardinal rule: I don't play the night before a test or exam.  The reason for this is that video games are hyper-stimulants, and my brain fully focuses on the exciting distractions.  When I go to sleep, instead of reviewing the main points in my head, my brain would be still focused on the video game.  Also, studies show that it takes longer to fall asleep after exposure to hyper-stimulants than if I were to be studying, reading a book or exercising.  Not only would I lose sleep, but I would be distracted and not using my brain to its full potential.

I do think that schools should be embracing new technologies, after all, everything we use in school, from pens to calculators, were new technologies at one point.  Just because something is new does not mean it is harmful to youth.  I think that the schools must, however, take precautions when integrating these technologies in school.  If they want to use more advanced computers, special care should be taken to ensure that students are not visiting unwanted sites on the internet.  The schools must ensure that the technology is being used as it was intended.

Overall, I believe that technology is not the problem.  The problem is that kids do not know how to balance this technology with their education.  They must be taught that their future is just as important as what is occurring now, and a healthy balance between the two must be met.

Placement Update

1.  Last week David and I met with Dr. Burt.  She told us that she wanted to incorporate technology into her classroom, but that she did not know exactly what she wanted.  She tasked us in brainstorming ideas that could be useful in her science courses.  Last week was spent looking for websites and tools that could help Dr. Burt.

2.  This week we will meet with Dr. Burt and present our ideas to her.