In honor of the name of this humble blog, Insomnia Pizza, I lay awake in my bed unable to sleep, thus resulting in this rant-entry. I tried going to Kelly Deli to buy some water bottles. I tried sitting on the couches overlooking the city lights. I looked at my homework. I wrote a few lists. What is it about me and lists? I write lists like people count sheep, hoping that by organizing and trying to control my schedule my mind will be at some sort of ease by I keep thinking about the discussions we had in one of my classes today: technology. Ever changing, useful, frustrating, can't-live-without-it, double-edged sword, what is it about technology that scares me? Is it the fact that it hinders our intellect? I can't tell you have many papers I have edited where students have used "ur" instead of "your" or "William Blake used the lamb as a metaphor to God lol" really, an "lol?" While I admit my cellphone might as well be glued to my fingers, technology (cell phones, internet) is making us dumb... or lazy. We're too lazy to type out full thoughts, we're too lazy to use correct grammar, we're so lazy that we have to abbreviate three letter words (i.e. you = "u" really!?!?) Drives me crazy! As a (hopeful) future English teacher, these insane thoughts of mine drive me crazy. I'm a big fan of new things, I like fast computers, I enjoy Skype, I like buying things on Amazon, but give me a break, I don't need to be attached to the internet 24/7. For example, this Twitter nonsense- do people really need 140 character updates on my boring life (I mean, does anyone even read my blog [insert "lol" here]). What is so important that people need instant statuses such as "Kristen has insomnia" or "Kristen loves cats." If you wanted to know these things, try having a normal face-to-face human communication. Plus the face of Twitter are morons like Ashton Kutcher and Tila Tequila (because I just have to know what they do every day). Do I really want to be associated with that?Currently I am taking a class about utilizing technology and internet web tools to not only enhance lesson plans but to create and cater to learning styles- to bring an entire world into my classroom. The concepts are great, in theory it all makes sense, but in the back of my head I'm wondering, "what's next?" Will administrators want us teachers to jump through flaming hoops? Should we set off fire works to the meter of Shakespearean sonnets? Does everything need to be exciting and colorful, bold, beautiful and full of glitter? Is that real life? Are we setting America's future up for disappointment and false expectations? Life isn't the Fourth of July every day, so why does my future classroom need to be a technology-filled circus? Allowing iPods, cellphones, laptops in high school classrooms have their place, but not every minute and second of every lesson. I hate lectures and papers as much as the next person, but when have I really learned and retained information using laptops in school? I'm pretty sure I spent the whole time on Facebook. The best lessons I had were analyzing, writing, and discussing, debating, which influenced me to work on my vocabulary, collaboration, creativity, and analytical thinking, I was... learning.
Yeah, technology is wonderful. It has opened so many new doors and has provided education with new and fascinating outlets that need to be explored and utilized, but there comes a point when we need to teach people how to listen without all that hoopla. Milton sums it up best in "Paradise Lost" when Adam and Eve leave the garden and into a whole new world of great and terrible things: "the World was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence Their guide: They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took, Their solitaire way." And yes, that comparison might be laying it on a bit thick, but think about it- or just go and Google an analysis and get back to me.
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