Digital Badge #C

While reading chapter 3 in the text, I came across the article titled “High Tech High” and found it to be quite interesting. I had always wondered if somewhere there was a school like this that was taking the use of technology to the next level and generating powerful results. What I’m interested to know is why are these schools not being provided everywhere? High Tech High is located in San Diego, California where I would imagine there is a high income level. The article states that “Technology is a constant feature of students’ everyday educational experience at HTH.”; and this school is sending every one of it’s graduates to four year colleges/universities. If these types of schools are making progress in academics, why can’t we have them all over the United States? I strongly believe that the government should recognize where our academic low points and high points are and provide more funding for the areas where schools are struggling. Judging by the results of High Tech High, technology obviously makes a world of differences in everyday learning from adolescents to adults. The school even helps prepare the students for the real world by allowing them to shadow adults in the community. This type of technology and learning should be available everywhere so that each and every student has a fair chance of succeeding academically.

I also found the section of the chapter “Information Literacy and Internet Literacy” to be something of importance. Just like the reading stated, students are believing everything they see on the internet is true. Unfortunately, because students are being asked to use the web to search for helpful information, they are not understanding that anyone and everyone has access to the web and can put whatever they want on there. I believe it’s absolutely necessary that students learn how to search for meaningful information by being taught to have an eye for solid resources. While technology is an awesomely helpful aspect of learning, it can also be very dangerous.

In exploring the text, I found the section titled “Redefining Creativity” to be interesting, yet frustrating. I understand that by using technology students can take their creativity to the next level, but what about those students in low income households who do not have the access to the latest technology? Or what about the students who have never been taught, or don’t have the resources to learn how to use the latest technology. I believe that technology is a beautiful thing; but it’s becoming so crucial for success that it’s even commercializing creativity. I hope that while using technology to express creativity, students never lose the true creativity that comes from their own minds instead of from behind a computer screen.

Sources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

www.ToonDoo.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rv_rmJYorE