Technology in the Classroom

When I was in college, I took a course called "Philosophy of Modern Man." My research and interest during this course was about the advancement and control that technology would have and has on modern man. That was in 1981. What we discussed was the fact that man would be overwhelmed with technology and needed to take control of technology, so that technology did not overrun man, or was used for immoral means or ends.

Flash forward - 2009 - Here I am @ work, on a Mac Book computer, purchased through a Classrooms for the Future grant. I get to school, I must turn on a computer, I must log into a online attendance service. I must attend to discipline issues using and Excel profile document to record offenses. I must log grades using the online grading system. I must record data for reading and writing outcomes and achievement using software for the purpose.
I get my news, do my banking, pay bills, purchase goods, and share my life online. I get my programing from a Satellite in the sky, and enjoy the transmission of movies from the comfort of my home in HD. I put an oven meal in the cold oven, and set a timer to cook at a later time in the day, to be ready when I return home from work. I set a bread-maker to knead the bread and bake a homemade loaf with little effort and no preservatives. I call on cellphone to any location in the country from any location in the country. I take pictures with a camera that doesn't require film, and display the pictures on a frame, that does require electricity! It is an amazing situation that I could not have imagined when I graduated from HS in 1979.

In my classroom, I will soon be scoring student work through another online program, and eliminating some paperwork. That's music to my ears! Also, I will soon integrate a smart board, and a pod of computers to share with two other classrooms and have many opportunities to engage students in learning. '09 is looking up, and here's to technology and Modern Man. Let's hope that we do not spiral out of control and let technology control us, or take us away from our Lord.

God has given us much, use it wisely!