Technology is a good thing, but it is not the only thing.

I love the outdoors. If I had a choice I would live in the mountains, near a river, away from as many people as possible. I love being away from technology and the need to be so connected to so many people. It is such a freeing experience and one I would like to share with everyone in my life.

This part of me has caused a great problem in my way of thinking this semester. At least two out of the four education classes that I am currently taking talk about the importance of technology in the classroom. I am not opposed to technology. I know that it can be helpful in teaching, but the more emphasis is placed on it, the more that girl that loves the outdoors wants to move to the woods, where she will not have to worry about things like these.

My problem with the way that some of the technologies have been presented to me is that I believe some of them will actually take away from learning. A few weeks ago I watched a video that presented the idea that using facebook and text messaging was a good idea to help teachers teach. This idea is completely appalling to me! If my teacher allowed me to have my phone out or facebook up, I know, without a doubt, that I would be more concerned with figuring out how to talk to my friends rather than listening to him or her. I know it is important to think about the fact that the generation of teenagers that I will be teaching does not know a way of life without technologies like these. I know I need to figure out how to use what they know to teach them, but I also think that there is a better way.

For the past two summers I have been a camp counselor at a camp in the Smoky Mountains. Of course, I am in my element there. We do have a couple of televisions, internet, and cell phone service, but when each week of camp starts we challenge the students to a technology fast. We ask them to give us or their leaders their phones and ipods. Naturally, the teenagers do not agree whole heartedly, but they agree nonetheless. By the end of the week most of them do not even want their phones back. I believe this is because maybe for the first time in their lives they understand what it is like to be where they are and to be connected to the people they are with.

I want to have a classroom like this. I will do my best to use technology in a way that helps meet students where they are, but I want students to connect with each other and with me and to be where they are. It is so easy to mentally live in a different place than our bodies, but along with teaching history, I want to teach students to appreciate where they are in their lives.