3D Printing

I think the 3D printing technology opens up all new possibilities in the classroom. It gives students a new way to apply what they are learning to more of a real life perspective. In core areas such as math or science it allows for student to better understand and relate to the subject.

As an Ag teach I think the possibilities with this technology are endless. It would be a great way for students to see what there project will look before it is finished. The 3D printing would be great as way for students to create a blue print of something and then see what the final results are. The other great positive I see from this technology is the excitement alone. It is a great way to spark interest in the classroom because the idea of printing something will make the students eager to apply themselves.

I also really like the possibilities of being able to print out parts that can be assembled. I think this would be a great way to learn how to assemble an engine or learn how to repair equipment in an agricultural setting. This would be a good way for students to start getting hands on experience before going into the shop.

TPCK

John Dewey described reflection as “the kind of thinking that consist of turning a subject over in the mind and giving it serous and consecutive consideration.” By mastering this art and skills, it increases the abilities of teachers to improve and modify their teaching.

As I have sat and reflected on the articles Dr. Wu gave us to read I found it kind of interesting how well they correlate with the assignment of writing a review on a blog. By writing a reflection on the blog we are better learning to use technology that we could use in the class room. This relates to our Technological Pedagogy Content Knowledge. The reason TCPK is so important for future teachers to master is the ability to adapt technology into the classroom as a teaching tool without losing pedagogy and content. When the three are applied evenly in a lesson it allows for the best learning. With the new technologies some teachers allow the technology to take over too much of their job by losing the interaction with the students. In order for the best learning to take place teachers must focus on the Pedagogical knowledge as well.

Technology has really changed the education world in the last 20 years. It is now expected as a teacher to be able to know how to use technology and adapt to new technologies in the future. In the study about technology integration it talked about how in 2004 teacher education students were not required to take an educational technology class. The technologies portion was covered in their methods class. I am sure it was not long after that the technologies class became required. It also talked about the importance of education students not just taking a technologies coarse but teacher educators providing opportunities for these students to experience these technologies in the university classroom. I think many of the teacher education students from this generation will be very good at adapting to new technologies. The thing that I think will be difficult is for them, is to incorporate the pedagogical content knowledge with the technology to reach all learning styles of student.

              In today’s world there is a huge push for the use of technology, whether it is in the workforce or in the classroom. After reading some articles on the matter it becomes apparent that there is different point of views whether or not the increase of technology is a good thing.

A survey was takin by PBS Learning Media that focused on teacher technology usage. The survey looked at many aspects of technology usage in the classroom. The results were very much in favor of the technology increase in the classroom. Most teachers said that the education technology had increased their ability to teach. That it made lesson plans easier, increased student interest, and helped prepare students for a 21^st century workforce. The one negative I seen from these surveys was the want for more technology in the classroom, with 75% of that need coming from low income school districts. If the use of this technology really is as important to learning and the future of our country, then it needs to be accessible to all schools. Coming from low income school districts it is likely that a lot students are not getting much technology use at home either. So this is forcing these students to fall even further behind in the large demand for technologic experts.

              Michael W. Apple brought up some important statistics in his article. While this article seemed to be older it still had some relevant information on the relation to how many jobs are effected by technology. Also the percent of jobs where these technological skills were required. The most important thing from this article was how this technology was going to affect the future. To make sure that this technology is really helping with education and is not being used for other reasons. We need to be certain that this technological future is accessible to all of our students, not just the ones that have the money to afford it.

              So where do we draw the line. The large increase in technology has really made outstanding contributions to our society. Making many things much easier. The use of smart boards, projectors, computers and the internet have made large strives for education possibilities. It allows for the teacher or the students to find out any information in a blink of an eye. Also allows for teacher to reach more learning styles than before. But there are issues. How far does this technology need to go? Will we as humans begin to lose skills that were once naturally acquired because of this technology? This can already be seen in today’s generation with their lack of being able to communicate with people. If this continues schools will need to implement classes to teach people how to communicate. Technology so far is definitely a good thing, but there are certain things that technology should not be needed for. This is important to remember in the future.