Ted Talks

The three Ted Talks were all very captivating and they addressed current issues we are having in the classroom. The first talked delved into technology and motivation in the classroom and what we can do to combat the issue. They piloted an idea that involved motivating students through use of smart phones and data plans. They were able to obtain these phones through attendance at school and their subsequent schoolwork and this privilege could be taken away at any time if they did not meet these requirements. I could definitely see how this could be effective in creating extrinsic motivation for students; however, I find it difficult to fully agree with the program because we need to be teaching these students about their own intrinsic motivation to learn. This is a great place to start, especially seeing that we are in a culture that is dominated by technology, and we can find other ideas that may better benefit these students in their long-term, educational success. The second speaker was one that spoke about the differences in gender and how our school systems suppress the needs and experiences of boys. Chellman made a good point that our schools have dramatically more female teachers than males and this poses the issue of having less role models for our male students. However, her connection between video games and the boys was one that I could not really follow along with. As a child, I loved playing video games and I truly do not believe that video games affect one gender more than the other. I also remember playing education games on my computer and I wish our students today could have more access to those types of games (typing proficiency, math facts, phonics, etc.). I have noticed that the students in the classroom I work in have little to no typing experience because all they use are iPhones and iPads. To me, this is a far more pressing matter than finding educational video games that can entertain our students. Finally, Thomas’ squishy circuits were brilliant. I loved the simplicity of the idea, yet how engaging and fun this project could be. I am a firm believer that we need to incorporate more hands-on learning in our class and this activity would be a really great way to get students more involved and excited about the sciences. All in all, these TedTalks really brought my attention to the pressing matter of blending technology and education in the classroom and how we can get everyone involved.