One to One Reflection

One of the reasons the public school system was established in the USA was to produce educated voters. Our fore fathers believed that if our democratic nation, which was still in its infancy at the time, was to survive then those who participate in the democratic process must be educated. They had to be able to read and write and think critically in order to vote knowledgeably. Today I believe that the aim of all teachers is to prepare our students for adulthood so that they may be 'productive members of society'. It is for this reason that I am in support of the one to one program. Regardless of my own personal trepidation at change, our students need to embrace the technology in order to be competitive in todays and tomorrows global market.
Some of the fears that Ihave were addressed by the teachers in the film. The access to tech support is huge! This program would not survive without it. Nor would I! Many spoke of how the laptops don't change how they teach as much as it enhances how they teach. This is good. The kids loved it and while I initially wondered at the "wall" that was being placed between the students and teachers in the form of computer screens, most students pointedly mentioned that they had a better, more personal relationship with their teacher because of e-mail, etc. I wonder at the ability of students to share more intimate information with their teachers because of the the freedom they might feel due to e-mail having no judging eyes....sort of like people spilling their life stories out onto the blank page...This could be a good thing too. Admittedly students would have to be taught the etiquette of this new medium but so will we all. Anything that allows a teacher to understand his/her student better will make them more effective as instructors.
Ultimately, I am all for any tool that has any chance of making me more effective and successful as a teacher. Even in the face of change, my students and their future success is more important than my own feelings of inadequacy or fear of change. If I don't understand the medium my students feel most comfortable communicating, playing, learning, etc. in then I owe it to them to "get with it".