Journal 6 - "Change Agent" NETS-T 5

Rebora , A. . (2010). Change agent. Education Week Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook , Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01richardson.h04.html?cmp=clp-edweek&intc=bs&sms_ss=delicious&at_xt=4cb7dc75d03,0



This article talked about a need for change in education today. It persuades the reader into thinking education today is outdated and educators need to be focusing on a way to bring the idea of life long learning through the use of technology into the everyday classroom. Will Richardson believes that students should be taught how to be network literate, and it is the job of the educators to make sure that the students know how to use these new network resources as tools for learning. He also stresses that students need to have modeled before them how to appropriately engage on internet social sites. Overall, he thinks the emphasis in education should change to teaching students the learning process rather than feeding them all this facts and stats of knowledge to help them learn. 


Question#1: Why is there such a slow move to the use of the internet world inside the classroom as a tool for learning?


When I think about implementing Will Richardson's ideas into the classroom I cannot help but think that parents may not want their children to have access to social networking sites. I think that in order to implement his plan effectively we need a generation of parents and teachers who see the value of such such sites as excellent resources for communicating and learning with others. I think that it would be awesome to get kids involved in different networks to enhance their learning. Although, I feel that since the internet has such a wide range of possibilities teachers have been hesitant to use these tools. I also foresee parents having a problem with the access their child has to certain information and the access the rest of the internet world will have to their child's ideas at young ages.


Question #2: How do we convince parents and colleagues that the internet and the tools it provides that enhance the learning process out way the dangers of the use of internet?


I think that there are still so many people out there who did not grow up using the internet and feel that it is not an important tool for learning. I think that if the advocates of using technology spent time with the older generations and teaching them how they could benefit from the all the different resources (i.e. twitter, delicious, ect.) that they would begin to see the value of it.