Netbooks

I am definitely a proponent of one-to-one computing in the classroom.  I'm not sure how realistic it is because of the cost, but if it is feasible I would recommend it for any classroom.  It would take some work on the teacher's part to revise lessons so that having the technology in the classroom is a meaningful experience to the students.  The computers is a great way to make sure students are learning some of the 21st century skills along with the core knowledge that comes with the state standards.  I like the ideas of having a student-centered classroom and using project-based learning and with every student having a laptop, these ideas are even easier to implement.  It can encourage students to become independent learners.  Given that our society is a becoming more and more technology driven, this is just another way we giving our students the necessary tools and information to be successful outside of the classroom.

Both netbooks and ipads are great ways to put technology in the hands of each individual student.  It seems that you could probably find netbooks cheaper than you can find an ipad, but with that comes to bulk of the netbook compared to the ipad.  Each of these could be considered a distraction in the classroom, but with proper classroom management strategies, that can be eliminated.  The size of the ipad definitely puts it ahead of the netbooks.  Another advantage of the ipad is the maintenance.  Some articles about the ipad claim they have less IT problems than computers do. Many teachers can be educated enough to troubleshoot problems on their own without needing to bring someone in the classroom to fix the problem.

MP3 Players

Some of the pros of MP3 players are: they can be used for mobile technology in the classroom, they can help ELL students improve their English and English speaking students to learn other languages, and the possibilities for using an MP3 player in the classroom are endless.

Some of the cons of MP3 players are: they are distracting, students can use them to cheat, some believe students isolate themselves when listening to them, and there is the temptation to illegally download or upload files.

The Wikimedia Commons website seems to be a great resource for teachers.  They have pretty much every content area in there, so you are bound to find something (whether it's a video, image, sound, etc.) that can be related to a lesson. Best of all everything available on the site is free.  The Radio Willow Web was interesting to see how a school was able to involve so many members of the school in creating podcasts about things going on in the school.  I think this would be fun to do, but it was also be somewhat time consuming with trying to keep posting things regularly.

I think the idea of teachers being able to post information in the podcasts.  If a student is sick and cannot make it school, then they do no have to worry about missing out on what the teacher was teaching that day.  It can also be a study aide for students to go back and listen to material that was taught during a unit.  I also like the idea of students being about to create podcast.  Publishing students work is a great way to boost self-esteem and also to encourage the students to put a lot of effort into each project.  Turning a story they wrote into podcast can make the students really proud of what they did, and they can share it with many people that way.

Cell Phones

I had never thought about the concept of cell phone ownership being related to families spending less time together.  It makes sense to me, why else would a teen need a phone unless the were going to be away from their family and need to call them. I was pleased read that this is not the case, and in some cases communication in the family increases when there are cell phones. I was really surprised to read that 46% of kids ages 9-11 have cell phones and 20% of kids ages 6-8 have cell phones.

Some of the cons of cell phones in schools are cheating on tests, disruptions in the classroom, prank calls, and sexual harassment. Some of the pros of cell phones in schools are kids have access to a watch, calculator, alarm clock, camera, and games (which can be a pro or a con).  Some teachers even think that when students see the phone as a tool, it can make learning engaging for the students.

I really liked the ideas given to use the camera in lessons, because this can be used for all grade levels. They can take pictures that show the letters of the alphabet, geometric shapes, concepts learned during a field trip, or create inspiration for creative writing.  There are many lessons that can involve the camera on the phone, and anymore it's hard to find a phone without a camera, so if a kid has a phone it will most likely have a camera.

I also agree with them about the etiquette lesson about using cell phones in and out of the classroom; something some adults should have a lesson in as well!

21st Century Skills

I was glad to read that one person has the right idea with this debate about whether schools should focus on core knowledge or 21st century skills.  These two concepts are not separate from each but should be placed on a continuum and schools need to find the right balance between the two, neither one can be left out.  I was pleased to read that when parents were surveyed the majority seemed to agree with Ken Kay in that both should be taught.  It is a little discomforting that most of the key people involved in the debate are advocating solely for one or the other.
This is slightly on a side note, but the chapter had a little write-up about it so I feel the need to say a little something about it as well.  The issue of summer break being too long seems to be making a bigger splash into the education talk.  Like it was mentioned in the book, many people are concerned with the length of the break causing students to forget what they learned and as a result there is too much time spent reviewing at the beginning of the year.  Don't get me wrong, it's a valid point and I can agree with it to a certain extent.  However there has to be a better answer than shortening summer vacation.  I feel that in the fast-paced society sometimes kids are growing up too fast.  Summer vacation is great time for them to just be kids again.  Things like summer camps, which many positive impacts on kids, are hurting from this idea to shorten their vacation time.
I hope this issue of chosing between core knowledge and 21st centery skills is headed in the right direction.  It seems pretty obvious to me that we need both in the classroom, so that our students are ready to succeed outside the classroom.