Impressions

     My impression after watching  "Classroom of Tomorrow," which is a video  about the gargantuan impact of technology on education, is that  students lack opportunities to interact face to face. I wonder whether one day people will  forget how to relate to each other.   I didn't notice any examples in the video of people talking or otherwise relating to one another.  The video reminded me of individuals who use technology  even while supposedly engaged in discourse, which in my opinion is bad manners.
     Another thought I had while watching the video was that one's tone of voice might change the meaning or intention of a message. A tone  might be sarcastic, joking or serious and facial expressions matter as well.  Often the intent of a message cannot be discerned in an e-mail for example.   So, although I agree  that  "the future belongs to those who prepare for it today" that preparation should also include both person-to-person communication and technology.  Too much of anything, including technology,  is not OK.

    I wish I could broadcast a very  salient message from  the "Educational Change Challenge" video  
that it is  acutely wrong to "clump kids together" as one group to learn at the same pace, in the same way.  Everyone learns differently.  Nevertheless,  appropriate and relevant technology used in moderation can facilitate one's understanding of a lesson.  For example, an application on the ipad  might reinforce an idea already taught in a way that is more appealing to the learner. It is often challenging for teachers to cater to unique student needs particularly when the class is large.  Fortunately, technology can help everyone learn at his or her own pace.   My autistic 9-year-old son would not be doing as well as he is without a computer and an ipad. He is inspired and motivated to learn partly because he uses the computer.  Sometimes his speech therapist gives him an ipad at lunch time and then he is popular because all the kids want to use the ipad with him.  Thus, technology has benefited him socially as well as educationally.  So to encapsulate, as long as technology is used appropriately and in combination with other teaching strategies such as face-to-face communication,  students are truly fortunate.