Tools for the Mind

Hillary Seeland
hillary.seeland@gmail.com
11 November 2007

"Tools for the Mind"
Mary Burns

In her article "Tools for the Mind," Mary Burns argues that technology use in schools is not where it should be. In school budgets across the country, it states that (in part) the purchase of computers and technology for classroom use will enhance and enrich learning. This is proven false. Though technology is being used in curriculum, it is not utilized in a manner that requires students to critically think about or analyze information; computers and their applications are simply for show-and-tell.

It seems that teachers are to blame for the misuse of classroom technology. Students are required to learn the Microsoft Office Suite, PowerPoint, and the Internet for school work, all of which are point and click operations. Burns would like to see more spreadsheet, database, and computer-aided design programs taught in classrooms. She argues that these applications push students and teachers to "create new knowledge" which should be the primary goal of schools.

• Teachers are learning computer skills as opposed to learning how computers can enhance student learning.
• Many school districts have not supplied an adequate technology environment for computer-enhanced student learning.
• Do students really learn better simply by using technology?
• Not all computer applications are created equal.
• Student Internet use tends to be passive.
• Databases vs. PowerPoint? Databases win, hands down.
• Never use technology for the sake of using technology. Always be aware of student learning.
• Professional development time and money should be allocated to teachers for technology education.
• Teachers need support in reassessing technology use and implementing a version that truly enhances student learning.

I understand and appreciate the argument that Burns asserts in this article. However, as I read through, I couldn't help but wonder -- how does this affect the English department? The use of GIS, computer-aided design programs, and simulation software seems a bit out of place when discussing Transcendentalist essayists. Equally bizarre would be to use a spreadsheet to demonstrate the ratio of stresses to line breaks in Eliot's The Wasteland. I suppose that there are some amazing programs out there, but I wouldn't even know where to begin. Perhaps someone could clue me in ... or should I wait for the district to put me through a technology intense inservice?

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I am sure that somewhere out there is a manual on how to effectively present a Power Point and I wish that I had read it. Is one expected to have the presentation memorized? Perhaps I could have used a laptop efficiently.

I spent the majority of my presentation looking up at the screen behind me.

Oh well.

Aside from the fact that my face rarely makes an appearance (perhaps this is not such a bad thing after all), I was amazed to learn that I use my hand a lot. Not just for emphasis, but to punctuate every word that escapes my lips. Sometimes I even use my hands to explicate sentiments that I don't verbalize. Yes, I am very talented.

To see it all, click here: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5323e65192012176a2a1

If you would like to see the information on a spreadsheet, click here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwGjXEBnpk7hTi_Sxs0psJg

I'm a Pre-approved American

I am sitting at Sitka High School at 8:22 pm on a Friday. Yes, it's true.

My energy project seems to have come to a mini-closure. Today, Kate helped me dig through the science department storage closet in search of a scale to weigh my junk mail. The first scale was too hefty, the second too wussy, the third was dismembered, and the fourth was mangled. I am learning to laugh at everything. We finally tracked down a scaled that worked and ... behold! ... three weeks of my junk mail weighs approximately 3.75 pounds!

Once I had some numbers in my hot little hand, I was sent back to the English Department to crunch some numbers. I learned that crunching numbers does not make me laugh. I struggled to convert tons to pounds, years to weeks, and billions to thousands. I had to cross multiply, which I have not attempted since ... hmmmm.

The confused letters above have left me believing that I learned more about myself through this project than I did about energy consumption. Junk mail has always been a huge bane and I know how wasteful it is. What became glaringly apparent to me was that I am lazy. Why haven't I called the phone numbers and written the letters? I am like every other "lazy American" who just lets stuff happen and tries not to think about its impact. I'm just one person, right? That's what we all say.

http://www.slideshare.net/hseeland/youre-approved