Teachers and Computers :: Technology Education Essays

Teachers and Computers: The Task Ahead Our world is becoming increasingly dependent on technology. In factories, offices, highways, and homes, one can find a plethora of machines in use. It makes sense then, that one would find some of the same technology in the schools. There is an obvious need for incorporating technology into the schools and curriculum. The task ahead for today’s educators is to learn how to use computers efficiently, develop a technology team in their school, and successfully include computer-based instruction in their classroom. The purpose of this paper is to present a process for bringing computers and teaching together. The first step is to educate the educators. A surprising number of teachers have very limited computer and technological skills. It is ridiculous to think that someone who is technologically inexperienced could teach a lesson involving multimedia presentations or computer simulations. The first standard of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) states that teachers need to â€Å"demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology† (NETS 9) There are eight basic types of technology with which educators need to be familiar. Each one provides a different educational benefit. A word processor encourages editing. Multimedia presentation software provides for different learning styles. Drill and practice software helps to reinforce things that the students have learned. A database helps students find the information that they need. Simulations provide a fun and effective way to learn, in which students take on role s in a story or event. Spreadsheets allow the user to perform several calculations at the same time for easy comparison. Tutorials work well for a group with diverse learning abilities because it provides self-paced instruction. The eighth and final basic technology type is telecollaboration over the internet. This allows students to experience parts of the world that they may never see. With all this technology available the question becomes, how are the teachers going to learn to use it all? The key word here is professional development. Professional development is â€Å"collaboration between partners to provide opportunities for teachers to strengthen their ability to contribute to the students they serve† (George 311). There are many ways teachers can strengthen their ability to contribute to students. One of which is attending seminars.

Scapegoating

Scapegoating, (v, act of singling out any party for unmerited, negative treatment) has been around since the biblical days, and still exists in many different forms today. Although there are many reasons a person or group of people may have for choosing a scapegoat, the bottom line is the simple fact that the â€Å"blamer† does not want to accept responsibility for their own actions or feelings.Whether fueled by hostility, aggression, frustration or jealousy, the scapegoat is singled out as the cause of those unwanted feelings, and for any trouble that may come up along the way. Scapegoating can happen anywhere from right at home within the family, right up the line to various issues within society and politics. Within the home, although most people view this to be their â€Å"safe place,† this may not be the case for some.There are many families that either knowingly or unknowingly pick one member of the family to be the scapegoat. This person will bear the brunt of mo st or sometimes all family members’ anger and frustrations. There are different factors that contribute to how this person is chosen, such as: being viewed to be weaker, they may have traits of un liked relative or friend of the family, or many other unknown reasons. Eventually, this person will begin to accept this to be their lot in life, and begin to accept the blame as reality.This will lead to emotional, behavioral, and social problems, as well as lead to low self- confidence and low self -worth. Another common place to see issues of scapegoating or bullying would be within society and politics. Some societies will place the blame for certain social problems on certain groups. There are places in the world that label specific tribes or ethnicities as the cause for what is going on. Countries will put the blame for government issues onto the President, or Prime Minister.The leader of these countries will then in turn use scapegoating to distract from more serious, underly ing issues by keeping the public busy blaming another person, country or group. The bottom line is that scapegoating, although it may seem convenient at the time, does not actually solve anything! It can lead to violence, hatred, segregation, and more serious issues. There are very rare instances of anything positive coming from scapegoating in a family setting, and even more within society and politics.

The Cold War Was A Continuation Of Colonialism - 1293 Words

Analytical Paper II From when World War II ended in 1945 to Soviet Union falling in 1991, the Cold War had a major influence in international affairs. It was a continuous competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Arne Westad argues that â€Å"the Cold War was a continuation of colonialism through slightly different means† (Westad, 396). I believe this statement is a description of World War II’s colonialism ways transitioning onto another international conflict; the Cold War. The Cold War began as a disagreement between the Soviet Union and America when it came to communism. The Soviet Union was afraid of America’s atomic weapons, as America was afraid of the Soviet Union’s growing army. Soviet Union was pro communism and America was pro capitalism. Overshadowing all was the threat of nuclear war. The U.S. is to blame for the Cold War due to threatening the â€Å"communist Soviet Union† in support of our own political systems. I can conclude this with points made from Westad regarding the Soviet Union’s actions and America’s as well. The Cold War unraveled as World War II came to an end, as the U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as competitive â€Å"superpowers† for political influence. Back in the days of the Cold War, any current president at the time was determined not to let communism into America. This was their greatest threat through the Cold War. At the end of WWII, the Soviet Union had suffered tremendously and the country was looking at an end. Because of thisShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of Dien Bien Phu1256 Words   |  6 PagesPhu To Vietnam War â€Å"It will be a war between an elephant and a tiger. If the tiger stand still, the elephant will crush him. But the tiger will never stand still. It will leap upon the elephant’s back, ripping out huge chunks of flesh and then will disappear back again into the dark jungle and slowly the elephant will blead to death† (PeriscopeFilm, 1962). 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