Tools for the Mind

I. Stacy Naden suga_bb@yahoo.com November 12, 2007
"Tools for the Mind" Mary Burns

II. Overview

This article was about teachers using and implementing technology into the clasroom, what sort of technology tools are commonly used, to what extent they are utilized, and potential ways to implement deeper understandings through using technology. The article states "schools have conflated technology use with instructional quality." Some of the most common uses of technology are power points, word processing, Internet, Publishing, Web editors, spreadsheets, databases, and emails. The author then states why these tools aren't being utilized and follows up with examples and ideas for utilizing technology in the classroom to promote higher level thinking.

III. Bulleted Reference Points

• online collaboration
• content- oriented simulations
• spreadsheets
• databases
• higher order thinking skills
• critical thinking
• thinking inductively
• thinking deductively
• geographic information systems

IV. Reflection & Significance to me

This article was interesting to read due to the simplicity of the argument. I can see how teachers are not utilizing technology to inspire critical thinking. However, I don't believe that the goal of many schools or teachers in general is to motivate students to critical thinking. Reflecting on the educational system that I grew up in, this goal was certainly not prevalent. I see a focus and a trend in some of the classes that I am currently enrolled in to focus on the outcome of the learning, through education. I don't really see a focus toward higher level thinking at the middle shcool level. Perhaps I am thinking about higher level thinking at a middle school level in too complex of terms. In my understanding, students are directed to take information, recite, remember, use, know, understand, and use in daily life in order to achieve higher level thinking. In which case, yes, sometimes this is achieved at the middle school level.

Watching the video...

Reflection:

The presentation of my power point needs to be prefaced with the fact that I had many technological complications upon recording myself presenting. I attempted to record myself with a friends' digital camera. This option proved to fail after three or four attempts at wishing the camera would record for longer than two minutes. As you can probably imagine, this amount of time was not sufficient to capture the full four and a half minute presentation. This effort failed and I was bound to return on a later date with more sufficient equipment to record myself with.

Efforts to record resumed on Friday afternoon after school let out, after substitute teaching. As one can probably imagine, Friday afternoon isn't the best time to get a whole lot of work done, considering the burnout factor. However, I was very determined to complete this complicated recording stuff and call it a day. I then attempted to record myself presenting with my very own digital camera. Initially I was hesitant because I didn't know how to record a video, then I quickly read the manual and realised that it sounded pretty simple. However, after presenting and recording and once again failing because I wasn't able to determine if my camera was recording the audio or not, I resolved to record myself with a UAS video camera. Attempt #4 proves faulty as the video camera was unfortunately checked out to me without a video tape.

Moving on, I decided to borrow a friends video camera. That same day, I picked up the borrowed video camera and returned to school. Friday after school at some hour after everyone else has gone home for the weekend, I hopelessly attempt to record myself again. It seems simple enough, press record and off you go! Well, not really quite so simple, as the fifth attempt provided the video camera with a still frame, apparently I pressed a button that I was unaware of and the camera recorded my voice without me. The sixth attempt didn't quite work because I somehow managed to erase the power point from the computer and it was only projecting on the projector. Ahh, so then the seventh attempt proved to be the one that actually worked. Yet, by this time I have had more than my share of fun with the whole ordeal.

I titled the video "The Outcome of Many Failures". The enthusiasm and quality of my presentation personality has no real value to me and I hope that I never feel quite that frustrated when attempting to teach an actual lesson. The video is viewable at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y4eBLDlewNY and the power point presentation has been appropriately formatted and is now viewable at: http://www.slideshare.net/suga_bb/plastic-bags. My weaknesses as a presenter are of course; my enthusiasm, my obvious frustration, my slightly monotone speaking voice, my incessant blinking, and my general angry appearance. I'm pretty embarrassed about my presentation as a whole and I really hope I never encounter such difficulties again. My strengths as a presenter include: I enunciate well and I can be heard, I don't seem to have too many annoying fidgeting habits (but those really only come out when I'm nervous). When I'm nervous I often fidget by moving my arms and hands around due to the abundance of moisture that accumulates on the palms of my hands. Overall, it's really difficult to watch myself. I assume I'll get more comfortable with it when I have more experience as a teacher.

I would modify the video by starting fresh with a new topic for a completely different project, say a project about my educational philosophy. I would like to be done with this project and not have to ever do this presentation again. I feel more confident about recording myself and I also feel slightly more tech savvy. I know my past difficulties and would do everything in my power to prevent these errors from ever happening again. I guess I would modify the video by deleting it from existence. Which I would like to do as soon as possible, although it really makes me laugh now. Perhaps it can make others laugh as well.