Wise choices require effective thinking and effective thinking requires some previous knowledge. In the article “The Civil Classroom in the Age of the Net,” Dr. P.M. Forni states that over the past three generations, there has been a decrease of civility in the classrooms, from grade school through college. A synonym for “civility” is courtesy. Teachers and professors have lost respect from their students and have noticed unruly student behavior. This is the result of the new developing digital technology. Because the Net is available at anytime and at any place, Forni believes that students feel that learning or paying attention in class is no longer crucial to their education. To what extent are the author’s writing strategies effective in making his case that the Net has caused this deteriorating relationship? More specifically, why is the organization of the article, the author’s personal stories, and the use of diction valuable to his assertion? I believe that the author’s case is convincing.
Forni avers in the first sentence that once upon a time, “the professing of knowledge used to rest on the firm foundation of the principle of authority” (Forni 15). Instructors used to have control over the entire class and could smoothly teach without any problems arising from the students. This claim of fact can be supported not only by Forni himself, but also by anyone within the three previous generations. I asked my parents about the overall classroom behavior when they were still in school. Unlike the present, my parents’ classmates had patience and their teachers had authority. Starting the article off with this statement, Forni effectively lays a firm foundation on which he builds his thesis. In the subsequent sentence, the aut...
... middle of paper ...
... even learn. Let it be known that knowledge leads to effective thinking, which leads to wise choices.
Through the use of organization, personal stories, and diction, Forni successfully makes his case that the weakening relationship between professors and students is the result of the Net. Stating the problem and proposing a solution that teachers can use, telling stories that I can relate to, and the choice of words all are effective in making his argument. Teachers who taught three generations ago probably had an easier time teaching than those who are now. We all need to realize that there is incivility in the classrooms and that it needs to be taken care of. I am not saying that one hundred percent of students are showing disorderly behavior but let us rebuild and give authority back to the professors, well, at least until technology completely replaces school.
Just spending some time in the modern-day classroom; I have observed several students on their phones. During my high school years we did not have to worry about cell phones or laptops being a constant problem. In Annie Murphy Paul’s “You’ll Never Learn!” she explains the studies of multitasking while students do their homework with the modern-day distraction of the digital age; resulting in a lower quality of learning. I agree with Paul that the digital age is becoming a problem in education, even though educators are leaning towards teaching on a digital spectrum. In this essay, I will explain how a digital age versus a non-digital age is effecting everyone involved in a higher education.
Freire begins his critique by analyzing the relationship between teacher and student. The author suggests that the teacher is a “narrator” and students are mindless drones waiting to be “filled” with useless information. Freire expands on this idea, comparing the students to “depositories” and the teacher to being the “depositor”; the comparison indicating teaching is an act, not a collaboration. The author also
I. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
In John Gatto’s essay “Against Schools” he states from experience as a school teacher that are current educational system is at fault (148). He claims that classrooms are often filled with boredom manufactured by repetitive class work and unenthusiastic teachings. Students are not actively engaged and challenged by their work and more often than not they have either already covered the concepts taught in class or they just do not understand what is being taught to them. The children contained in classrooms have come to believe that their teachers are not all that knowledgeable about the subjects that they are teaching and this advances their apathy towards education. The teachers also feel disadvantaged while fulfilling their roles as teachers because the students often bring rude and careless attitudes to class. Teachers often wish to change the curriculums that are set for students in order to create a more effective lesson plan, but they are restricted by strict regulations and consequences that bind them to their compulsory teachings (148-149). An active illustration of John Gatto’s perspective on our educational system can be found in Mike Rose’s essay “I Just Wanna Be Average” (157). Throughout this piece of literature the author Mike Rose describes the kind of education he received while undergoing teachings in the vocational track. During Mike’s vocational experiences he was taught by teachers that were inexperienced and poorly trained in the subjects they taught. As a result, their lesson plan and the assignments they prepared for class were not designed to proficiently teach students anything practical. For example, the curriculum of Mike Rose’s English class for the entire semester consisted of the repeated reading of ...
In response to Mitoko Rich, “Literacy Debate – Online, R U Really Reading?” in the 21st century, children are learning via different sources, whether through textbooks, internet, blogs, etc. Therefore, it was not surprising to read what is mentioned in this article. Reading in the digital age is causing a debate, especially in regards to students. After reading the article, questions came to mind such as; is it possible that digital text can cause more harm than
Watkins, S. Craig. "The Young and the Digital." From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader. By Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2008. 505-15. Print.
In “The Laptop Ate My Attention span”, Abbey Ellin describes the advantages and disadvantages of the internet being used in the classroom. Although she does include different types of schools, the author focuses in on business school students. She explains to us that an increasing amount of college campuses are choosing what students can or cannot do with their laptop while in class. Ellin describes what students do use their computer for in school and while some students are starting their own business others are chatting away or just not spending their time wisely. With it being that these are the future leaders of america and the people with access to a higher education, Ellin would expect them to have some sense of manners when it comes to what they are using their computer for during class time. The author gives us an example that a student knows better than to walk out of a
With lifelong effects, teachers impact the quantity, quality, and overall enjoyment of the educational experience. Their effect dilutes itself the classroom, into present life, and even the future. In the classroom, they mold and guide youth in their lifelong quest to search for the truth and their own voice in the world. Yet their influence does not stop at the classroom door. In fact, teachers have a profound impact on morals, creativity, and even politics. "Teachers always have the power in the class," Christian Zawodniak discusses in , "I'll Have To Help More Of You Than I Want To." They hold the grades and students usually perceive them as holding the knowledge too (Zawodniak 124). But how should a teacher exercise this bestowed power? Is a forced learning environment more beneficial or is a cooperative pedagogy more productive? With diverse students and unique learning needs, it is difficult to identify one or the other as more advantageous. However, I will attempt to explore the benefits and disadvantages of both, as well as how they can be combined or compromised in a delicate balance. Although I will strive to stay neutral and merely present the options, I may also occasionally include my own personal experiences.
In summary, the Digital Divide is real and has placed a severe gap between certain groups of people in the American culture. The Land of Opportunity is not necessarily made available to all. In her CNet article, Sonia Arrison (2002), provides a unique perspective as to the reason behind the gap. “The digital divide is not a crisis, and it is certainly not the civil liberties issue of the 21st century. The real issues are the sorry state of education and the push to raise the taxes that affect lower income families most” (Arrison, 2002). Arrison states that if the Government could improve the education in the American schools and stop luxury taxes on so many services, the Digital Divide could easily be narrowed. By narrowing the divide, more families could afford Internet if so desired, and students could have access to a better education.
Yet, the damage doesn’t stop there, in classrooms where the students haven’t fallen asleep the students usually develop a dispirited, and less engaging nature towards learning. The students are convinced that the suitable mode of learning is through the utterances of a teacher which, undoubtedly, leads to an excessive reliance on professors. Reliance on professors is not necessarily a detriment, but when it prevents students from seeking knowledge independently it transforms them into superficial learners who lack depth of understanding.
The Impact of the Internet on Education A dusty, one-bedroom schoolhouse on the edge of a village. An overworked teacher trying to manage a room full of boisterous children. Students sharing schoolbooks that are in perpetual short supply, crammed in rows of battered desks. Children worn out after long treks to school, stomachs rumbling with hunger.
Technology affects everyone! Whether positive or negative, we are all affected, how it manifests itself into problems for youth will be studied and debated for years. Balancing technology throughout the educational process and keeping with current trends and uses of technology will affect everyone. Technology has transformed our youth’s daily and social lives. How do we measure the effects of technology on our ability to socialize or have a successful social life? Socializing is not just talking face to face, it’s our ability to interact, learn, and create original thought. Technology hindering today’s youth and their ability to socialize is affecting their capacity to read, write, and communicate. Today’s youth depends on careful considerations for the implementation of technologies. Our youth do not have the capability to convey their emotions through the use of technology, understand sadness, happiness or joy through simple text or emails. Communicating through the use of text, chat, and social network sites is lost using abbreviations and slang, inhibiting the use of the Standard English language. Using computers and hand held devices for relationships, reading, writing, and entertainment, turning them into introverted and socially inept individuals. Current trends resonating from our educational institutions to our workplace can be examples of how technology has altered the way younger people communicate. This tragedy transcends from youth to adulthood affecting the workplace. Social networking sites have begun to take hours away from employers. How do students understand ethical and moral dilemmas unless they are allowed to make mistakes and work through a particular problem? Creative and original thought needs...
Imagine someone born in the early 1900’s entering a modern-day classroom. They would likely be confused as to what televisions, computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices are. It is also likely that they would be overwhelmed by the instant access to information that the internet provides. Digital media has become a large part of people’s everyday lives especially with the rise of digital media in classrooms. Digital media is growing so rapidly that people who are not adapting to this shift in culture are falling behind and becoming victims of the “digital divide”, this is leaving people misinformed. Digital media has a large effect on the way that people communicate, this is especially evident in the way that students interact with
The use of technology has led more people getting information from blog, which has been criticized by many journalists who doubt the accuracy of the information; and also in this computer age, the use of print dictionaries is fast nose-diving towards oblivion, because every word that is needed is found online. The words are very precise with their examples and one does not need an editor to know what a word means because you can easily look them up online. Students have also learned to understand that they write to the audience and therefore, have to be more creative, persuasive and organizing in their writing in order to get their point across to the audience. It is believed that the previous generation rarely put up a paragraph of their own and most students then, needed an interview before they were able to write something. But with the continuous in class writing in school and online, it has made students become adept in writing.
Technology has changed many aspects of our lives, so why should we expect less of the classroom atmosphere? Technology in the classroom has changed the way students learn and the way teachers teach. Technology today is integrated into the classroom as a teaching tool rather than being taught as a course. There are many ways that technology is used in today’s classroom such as the World Wide Web, Power Point, and Excel (Starr, 2011). Teachers will continue to be the most important aspect of a child’s education because they teach and technology does not. The use of technology in the classroom can bring advantages to a child’s education but can also bring disadvantages (Cleaver, 2011).