Turning on the Lights

In the article "Turning on the Lights", it was interesting to see how the students so casually said that their classes were so boring without even having to think twice. While reading this article it made me think of something my pastor said during church one Sunday. “People come to church ready to be entertained and if they are not then they think the sermon was not interesting/worth their time.” Sometimes I think students/kids these days think they have to constantly be entertained. For example, I was babysitting four kids the ages five through ten. During the five hours I was there, they were not able to be on the computer or watch any TV. After three hours went by, the two older boys were starting to get out of hand, because they did not now what do with their minds. The eight year old boy started going a little crazy. They were all so use to being entertained all the time. I think students have to realize that not everything in life is just going to be handed to them in a fun and exciting way. Yes, if it does enhance their learning it is beneficial but at the same time not everything in life is going to be exciting and entertaining.

Last spring when I was volunteering in a 5th grade classroom the teacher was having the students make videos with a flip camera about what they were learning in class. The students were really enjoying their project because they were able to be with their friends while using technology. After they made the video they were able to edit it and add music. After the movies were all complete different awards would be handed out. Sometimes I get the feeling from these articles that there are no teachers that are adding technology into their classrooms, but there are.

The article also mentioned that when students enter school they have to power down. I think students abuse the technology that they have for school. For example, students are not paying attention in class because they are always texting; therefore, that is why teachers want their students to put their phones out of sight. Computers are very helpful with learning about new information, but especially in high school, students log onto sights that have nothing to do with the education process. Therefore, I think this might be a reason why students have to “power down” when they enter their classrooms.