The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

This video shows the different advantages of using networking to connect with other college students that have learned the same material. It has different networks that have what other students have found out about the information you may be researching. It also asks the question, "What are teachers for?". It answers by telling us that teachers are there to teach the students how to use the computer networks. A computer teacher may be there to teach students how to use networks and other technology, not core curriculum teachers.

What is going to happen when students learn all of these techniques to look up things on the internet and forgets how, or doesn't even learn, how to use books? I am definitely for us having computers in the school systems, but in labs, not personal computers for every student. Having a study period that allows students to go to labs and use the techniques they have learned is fine. Maybe have more than one lab in a school to compensate for the size of the student population.

The school systems today have major financial issues that cause numerous layoffs for the teachers. If the school board cannot afford to pay the teachers, how will they be able to afford the maintenance for all the computers to be in the school district? How will they be picked for the computers to be put in the schools, is it rich to poor?

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)

The student said it best, "It can be distracting". The freedom that students have online is unlimited. The programs should be limited in the public school systems, and private grade school, to school work. No one should need to be on facebook, or any other social networks, to look up information about school. A student at an University pays to be there and pays for their computer use which should give them the freedom to do what they want with it. I know that all students, like the one who made the video, will not abuse the opportunity but what about the ones that have difficulty concentrating? The school systems are starting to put mentally challenged students in with the general ed students and expecting them to learn the same material. My question to that is, if a student is ADHD or has a lower IQ then the other students, what will happen when, IF, the computers are placed in every one of these classrooms?

The Machine is Changing Us by Michael Wesch

My comments about this video are simple...

I liked the video and how Professor Wesch showed the connectivity to every person on the web by using YouTube. I would be the one that is nervous about talking on the computer because playing it back I know how I sound. This, to me, may give the people watching it a bad outlook of what I have to say due to how slow I talk. I haven't made many videos for YouTube but connecting with other people around the world is a definite advantage of the ever advancing technology. It was a great presentation.