Turning on the Lights

This article made a lot of really good points and I appreciated that there were very practical solutions for combating boredom in school through the use of technology. I think a lot of teachers might forget the fact that they can actually talk to their students to get ideas about what works for them and what does not. I think that if students have more of a say in what goes on, we would find them to be more engaged and excited about what they are learning.

I really loved the idea of connecting students to the world. It's so easy to do with the technology today and I hope to implement this in my classroom someday. I remember having a couple penpals over email when I was about 14 and it was so fun to talk with someone from another country!

Being aware of the fact that students are "in the light" long before they reach our classrooms is very important. It was eye opening to see what it's like for kids these days walking into a school where it feels like they are taking a trip back in time having no connection to the outside world. It is a difficult situation where if those electronic devices were allowed, there would be a loss of control over our students, but without them we have lost their interest. This artical was helpful in getting teachers to realize the need for using technology in the classroom, where they can control the technology and keep the interest of the students.