This week in technology

I have been noticing more an more as I attend my courses and do some teaching assisting that use of visuals in a foreign language classroom are essential. It has come to my attention that the way in which the teachers integrate visuals is through the use of technology whether it is through power point, videos, images, or the projection of worksheets. I feel that although these are all unique ways to include visuals into a unit and or lesson plan, we should try not to use technology as the main tool to do so. While power points can be really helpful and beneficial, for example to teach vocabulary with images, the same thing can be done with props or tangible images. Lets say that one of the activities for the day is to learn the vocabulary on fruit. Instead of doing a power point, the teachers can bring in the actual fruit and it would be a way for the students to both see, feel, and smell what they are learning not just hearing the word and seeing a image projected. While I like the use of technology in the classroom, I don't think it should be over done.

I recently saw a Verizon commercial on tv in which there was a sick child who couldn't go to school. Instead of missing the lesson entirely, the student was able to attend school through the use of a robot, who traveled to the school and project the image of the child on its screen so it was as if the student was attending school through the comfort of his home. At one point of the commercial, the teacher even calls on the student to answer a question, which he answered correctly. It was shocking for me to see this commercial and realize that sooner or later, this was going to be an option for many students in the future. Are we going to have to be teaching students through this new use of technology which takes the place of the student when they are absent? It is going to be interesting to see what new waves of technology are going to bring in the future to our classrooms and how we as teachers are going to have to adjust to it.