Technology Leadership

I am going to start this post with an important question posed in the chapter, "What three communications technologies have influenced you the most on a personal level?” After thinking about this question for a minute, I came up with the most obvious answers as stated in the chapter, television, cell phone, and computer/internet. As someone growing up in the 21st century, these technologies have become vital to my everyday life. It is true that books and printed literacy should be in almost everyone’s top three since most of our education has been based on that. The fact that the Internet and television are so important in our lives proves that they need to be implemented into education as well. This is not to say that printed books aren’t as important as ever, but there are other technologies equally significant.

Technology leadership is extremely important in schools today. Integrating technology into curriculum is no longer an optional action, but a vital and empowering tool that will only help our students. One of the main problems with technology integration is the money and time consuming aspect; this is no easy task. You must have the cooperation of the administration, principal, teachers, students, parents, and community. Each person plays a role in the success of technology in the classroom.

I greatly agree with the statement in the book that technology empowers individuals. The idea that children can have their voices heard because of technology is an amazing feat. The integration of technology allows children to learn on a much deeper level than ever before. This is the importance of technology leadership and why more teachers and districts need to invest in this idea. In order to invest in this idea, you can’t just send teachers to workshops where they sit and watch someone else play around with technology. For technology leadership to truly work, teachers need to be introduced to different forms of technology and have the means to play around with it and learn hands on while interaction with other teachers for different ideas.

Technology is obviously really costly and many school districts feel that it’s not a necessity. Personally, I think that it is one of the most important tools in a school. I know that my school district put it in the budget to put smart boards in every classroom within the next couple years. School districts need to pick and choose what is important to them and they should know the value of technology. If the principal is behind this process, as well as leads and implements, there is no limit to what you can do.

Basically, as a future teacher, I am extremely passionate about technology leadership. This basic idea is one of the main reasons why I took this class. I wanted to be able to learn more about the different programs and ways that I could use technology in the classroom or in my daily life.

Exploring Media

My exploring media project is focused on my University life. Coming from New York and beginning my freshman year at McGill University was both a scary and exciting experience. I had never lived on my own for a long period of time before and it was definitely a transition that I had to get use to. Walking through the McGill gates on my first day was overwhelming. It was so beautiful and there were so many people; it was hard to grasp that this is the place I was going to spend the next four years. I currently live in Molson Hall, one of the dormitories. It is all the way at the top of Rue University, which is quite a hike everyday. Over time, it has gotten easier and easier to walk, something that has become routine. I live in a one-person dorm room with 31 other kids my age on my floor. In the beginning it was difficult not knowing anyone but after a while these people became my friends and my family while I'm here. Everyday we eat together at Bishop Mountain Hall, our cafeteria. We have a five-day a week meal plan, which serves us breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although the food is not my mother's home cooked meals, I have learned to live with it. On the weekends we all cook together in our tiny kitchen on our floor.

Since I started University, I will admit I have never worked so hard in my life. My schoolwork from High School doesn’t even compare to the work I have here. I have truly learned the importance of studying and staying on top of your work. You can’t fall behind because that will mess up your entire semester. I am also slowing figuring out what I want to do with my life. With each course I take, I learn more about my interests and myself.

One of the most difficult parts of University is being so far away from my parents and my home friends. I don’t know what I would do without the technology today. I can call or text my friends or family whenever I need them. The greatest invention for me is Ichat, which is a program on Mac computers. With a touch of a button, you can see anyone who has a webcam. To be able to see my parents and my friends on a constant basis is an amazing invention, it helps me from feeling homesick and staying focused on school. It is incredible the technology and how easy it is to communicate with anyone, anywhere.

Now that I have been here for 6 months, I have truly made friends that I will have for life. At the end of the day it is so nice to have people to be with and go out with. In university, it is so important to be able to wind down and relax after classes and all the work we do. These relationships help define my life here and help me through stressful times. My experience has just begun but I am so excited to see where these next four years take me and to see the person I become.

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Reaction to Chapter 6- Chomsky, the Empire, and Media Literacy

It is scary to think about the influence the media has over feelings toward the government. The media can switch around any story and display it in any way they want. The public's opinion is solely based on the news and therefore they will believe almost anything they watch. Especially after 9-11, they played out the war on terror, as if it was a movie. Depicting us, American's, as the good guys who had to go after all terrorists and potential threats. The media was completely behind Bush and therefore so were most Americans. Once the war started to go down hill and it was evident that we were losing, the media, along with the American public, changed their views on Bush. I can't necessarily criticize the media because I have to admit that I am one of the American's who strongly disagreed with Bush's actions in the last couple years. However, when I sit back and think about the media's role in both my opinion and almost all American's it is astounding. I completely agree with the statement by Chomsky, "the fact that we killed and are killing huge numbers of people in Vietnam and Iraq for economic and geopolitical gain is not the issue in the public conversation in the United States. The fact that we did not/are not winning the war is the matter that concerns the media and most Americans." The truth behind that quote and the impact of the media is extremely frightening. However the war is played out in the media, is the war that we are going to believe and be concerned with.

This all relates to media literacy because it is our youth that can change this problem. They can think for themselves and learn the advantages and disadvantages to the news and other media outlets. I think that watching the news is really important for all children to do but at the same time they need to be informed about the impact it can have on opinions. As the media and access to news stories grow, this concern needs to be addressed.