Class Reflection 01-25-12

Real Simple Syndication or RSS was the first term I learned during my first Demonstrations and Technology in Science Education class. While I had some experience with RSS feeds in the past, my interest for this type of technology was fleeting at best. So for memory sake, I took a brief trip down memory lane by logging into my old RSS reader to find a large collection of Japanese animation feeds that have accumulated over the years. After quickly sifting through the feeds, I figured out that I was interested in RSS feeds as a young high school student. It was good to see how connected I was several years ago.

After a lesson on RSS feeds, the class contributed in a list of new and old technologies found inside and outside the classroom. As a technology nut, I tried to remember all the tech articles I read in the past. Topics like 3D printers, voice recognition(iPhone 4S's Siri), and handwriting recognition technology came to mind. I initially tried to think of a teaching application for each piece of technology. But, after a few contributions to the technology list, I just started mentioning general technology.

While the professor was grouping the technology list into sub-groups I noticed how he emphasized efficiency above all other types of categories. I came to realize why this emphasis on efficiency was so obvious. With only a small amount of time allocated to teaching each class, efficiency was key in the average classroom. So, I started forming a small list of some of the efficiency gadgets and Internet tools found on the board in hopes of using them myself someday.

As a tech nut, this class seems promising. In the coming weeks, I hope to get a first hand experience on newer and newer pieces of educational technology. Overall, some more experience with the smart board would be very helpful. I'm just going to have to wait and see what this class has to offer.