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Should teachers be required to be computer literate?  Should they be required to integrate technology into their classroom?  Provide rationale to support your stance.

I am completely for teachers having to be computer literate. We have to use the technologies that are available and that the kids will be using in the future. Obviously they will be using technology way more advanced than what they will see today, but they MUST be exposed to it. 

Three reasons...
#1- Its expected of the rising generation to know how to use the technology for work, not just play, where else is a better laboratory to show them how to use it productively.
#2- "No Child Left Behind" is a common and popular mantra among school districts, so we had better ensure the kids are up to speed on available technology.
#3- They can't be scared of the technology. They have to be proficient in order to compete in the future workplace.

I remember a handout my Junior English teacher handed out to us at the beginning of the semester. She was encouraging us to use the technology available to us, (I just think that she was tired of reading handwritten papers!)  It had some quotes from parents and teachers who didn't want certain "education enhancing" devices allowed in class. Those devices that were included were, the lead pencil, the pencil sharpener, the typewriter, and the computer. 

Check out this link of ads for a MAC, I am not condoning, I just thought they were funny! 


As you can plainly see these are all important and useful tools that do indeed enhance the educational possibilities of the students. Our teacher although she could have been catagorized as (old, or experienced) understood correlation of technology and better education.

Our students need teachers who talk their tech language and who are up to speed with the advancements that are being made. They don't have to be young, but they must be willing to learn.

Technology = Communication... or Not

How technology enhances and/or diminishes communication.

So does technology allow us to communicate better with our fellow human beings or does it let us reach a more expansive audience but only at a superficial level?

   PRO Argument A. The technology that we have today allows us to communicate with more than one medium i.e. just our voices and ears. There are phones, texting, video phones, online videos and so many more.

   PRO Argument B. The Online chat rooms, online social networking, twitter, FB(Facebook), instant messaging, gaming sites, the technology of cell phones is allowing us an ever increasing ability to transmit ideas and conversations with anyone and everyone, anywhere and everywhere. 
   I just read an article of a 22 year old woman who crossed the Atlantic on a solo row boat journey with 100 chocolate bars, 3 i-pods and the internet. Wait the internet? She was constantly in contact with people through e-mail and twitter. All in the middle of the Ocean!

   CON Argument A. Even though are many methods to communicate the human race is losing the ability to effectively convey ideas and thoughts from human to human. 
   Ex: We have idiot professional sports stars, music artists etc. who publish cop-out apologies and excuses for their actions on their blogs but who don't ever take the time to speak to those they have hurt to express regret or pain. That is NOT communication.


   CON Argument B. We are in what has been deemed the "I" Generation. You don't see people without headphones on, not even paying attention to others who are right there with them. We have "I" pod, "I" phones and only "I" matter attitudes. People don't care for others since they are so busy with their gagets.

   Teens texting and driving causing accidents because they have to know the latest gossip rather than paying attention to road and traffic conditions. 

   Did the woman who rowed solo across the ocean even realize the beauty and majesty of the world around her? Possibly not if she was "connected" through her Me-phone, I mean i-phone.

In conclusion there are definitely MORE methods in which that we can communicate, but the quality of the communication is lost. We should not diminish out means of communication by diluting it with the internet but we as a society aught to increase our ability to really communicate with others of the human race.