First, I've already updated my "professional presence" website, http://mrsninabensonprofessionalpresenc.weebly.com/ . This was after I started the laundry and went to the second class I signed up for, EDU655 Language and Culture. I'm old enough to be everyone's mother. ...And I still have reading, (for both classes), to do and post my lesson plans and grades for work... Just to think, once upon a time I toyed with the idea of getting my national board certification and even a Ph.D...
Good Lord, what was I thinking?
When I was working on my Master's, I was in my mid twenties. I had two children both in diapers, sixteen months apart, worked part-time, visited with family regularly, ate meals, slept- as much as two babies allowed, invited friends over and cooked great meals from scratch, did research for my thesis without the aid of Google or computers, (I went to the library!), thought that I was high tech when I typed my papers on an electric typewriter while using this new stuff called "correct tape"... But now, more than double the years later and just two classes and nearly an empty nest, plus all this "easy technology" at my fingertips, I should be dancing a jig.
...But the McGee side of my family got all of the dance genes. I can neither dance nor carry a tune.
Does anyone know what classes 50+ folks take? I'll have to research this at a later date. For now I need to comment on some research and I would really like it, if you chime in because who hasn't be affected by "TEENS AND TECHNOLOGY", (from the Pew Internet Research Center March 2013 Teens and Technology). Sounds scary, like "teens on energy drinks after lunch".
When I was a youngun, I remember my science teacher, Mr. Lesner, from my freshman biology class saying, "Mark my words, there will come a day when we're going to ask a child what is 2+2 and he's going to say "Wait! Wait!" and whip out a calculator and punch in the numbers..."
According to the research nearly 80% of teens have cells phones and 95% of teens have use of the internet, via laptops, desktops, tablets, etc, (this is just the U.S.). With all of this "easy" available technology are teens thinking for themselves? Are teens problem solving, simply using their minds? As far as educational tasks are teens given opportunities to work with the use of their technology and/or internet and then complete the task using their noggins or vice versa?
Given the "connectedness" how do our teens compare with other groups from foreign countries, who have considerably less? How does the U.S. compare academically? Teachers claim that students are impacted, but how specifically are they impacted?
Teens mobility with cells can be comparable to the invention of the cordless phone! Mom could get around the room more, she became more accessible, and available. She was still able to be of service. However with the advent of the cell phone for teens, things are a bit different, I think, (but dear mom would say, "Who told you to think, Tina", (my nickname)). Given the "connectedness" teens should be more secure, available, even accessible, however, just on the surface methinks not.
Very reflective post, Nina. Its easy to see you've given this research some thought. Thanks for sharing. And for the record I received my first masters without the Internet!
ReplyDeleteI't's hard to believe all the work that was done "without" the internet...Days in the library, pouring over books and articles... I still like libraries, just not so much for research. The comfort of my home is so much nicer.
DeleteI like your blog. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lyssa
ReplyDelete