Comments for Northern Virginia Tutoring Service

Comment on Too much tech in teaching? by Joy

Joy — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:03:18 +0000

Kids need to use the technology however they need to learn to listen and speak up. They have to learn that they cannot push the pause button on life!

Comment on Too much tech in teaching? by DrPerrino

DrPerrino — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:21:11 +0000

Lauren,
I could not agree with you more. No doubt, there is a place for technology in any classroom. That was true even during the 1950s and 1960s when teachers used reel-to-reel tapes and audio tapes for instructional purposes. I am old enough to remember when my high school Spanish teacher issued 45 rpm records to each students to memorize Spanish! That certainly sounds humorous by today’s standards, but it demonstrates the fact that since the invention of electricity, technology has been used in the classroom. However, as you have astutely pointed out, the “old school methods” also have their place. As an educator, I am not doing my job nor can I possibly reach my students if I do not connect with them on a human level. The verbal and non-verbal cues that only come with human interaction can be achieved through these tried and proven teaching strategies. Over-reliance on any teaching methodology, including technology or the “chalk and talk” approach, is a recipe for ineffective teaching.

Comment on Too much tech in teaching? by Lauren Sterlacci

Lauren Sterlacci — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:18:16 +0000

Although I think Michael Wesch has an interesting take on his teaching process, for me it reiterated the importance of the human connection a professor makes with his/her students without the use of technology. While the use of technology certainly has benefits I think that it should only be used minimally. In my opinion, the old school methods of teaching should always have a place in the classroom because that personal interaction is what keeps us most engaged.

Comment on Too much tech in teaching? by Sam

Sam — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:21:35 +0000

Sometimes in life it is a good idea to slow down, catch your breath and consider where your fast-paced life is heading. With the nearly breathtaking increase in usage of the Internet and its social media sites such as FaceBook and Twitter, our communications and even our way of life are rapidly being caught up in the rush to share the mundane and often shallow thoughts and actions with others. But I share the students’ conclussions that something is being lost at the same time. The thougtful and intimate connections that people need in life are being weakened in the tradeoff for real-time communication. I treasure my close friends and colleagues when we get “real”, talk about more serious things, and experience the give and take that enriches our experience. The Internet brings us a wealth of information at our fingertips, but I believe there is also a danger of becoming more isolated in a crowded world, where we type in messages that lack the “juice” that comes from real human connection.

Comment on Too much tech in teaching? by DrPerrino

DrPerrino — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:32:11 +0000

As a follow-up to my earlier post on the use of technology in the classroom, I conducted/orchestrated an “in-class graded discussion” in my class this morning. The focus of the discussion was the essay I recently published titled “The Socialization Process and Its Impact on Children and Learning.” These discussions are conducted using a modified Socratic Method whereby students read an essay or study, come to class with questions or thoughts in mind, and engage in an open conversation among and between each other. I guide the process and offer prompts when there is a lull in the conversation. This “old-fashioned” learning tool has been used since, well…Socrates! It has probably guided the great minds of the ages to build nations, invent revolutionary products, create great art, theater and literature, and move science and medicine to great heights – all without modern technology.

When prompted, many students who participated in the discussion commented on the negative impact of television, the internet, social media, cell phones, computers, and other devices that have decimated human interaction and face-to-face communication. Surprisingly, many students this morning expressed frustration with the degree to which they are expected to “stay connected” digitally. They long for the days when they felt more connected to one another in a real way. They expressed the view that they are becoming increasingly overwhelmed, concerned, and frustrated with the expectation that if you are not tinkering with technology, you are not cool. One student even went so far as to state that Facebook is passe.

I posed the question: Has the media (television, internet, Facebook, etc.) become an asset or a detriment to society? The overwhelming majority of students in today’s class, surprisingly, expressed the view that the impact of the media in its various forms has been predominantly negative. I also asked if they felt that at their young mid-twenties ages, do they feel there is a “generation gap” emerging between them and kids in the 10-20 year-old range. The response to the question was a universal “yes.”

All of this information and insight was accomplished sitting in a circle in a college classroom, looking at each other, and interacting on a human level. They now have the opportunity to comment further by posting on Blackboard’s “Discussion Board” feature. This, as I noted in my previous blog post, is where technology can be a viable supplement to classroom interaction, not supplant classroom interaction.

Comment on Is a College Degree Worth the Expense and Effort? by Joy

Joy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:13:01 +0000

Good points are made in both articles. However it leads one to ponder… does everyone need to go to a 4-year college to be fulfilled or successful in life? I think people need to start thinking outside of the 4-year box. There are so many careers and paths to success and too many “adults” do not promote this idea.

Comment on The Cost-Effectiveness of E-Textbooks by Sam

Sam — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:02:35 +0000

Kudos for bringing our attention to a topic many of us probably haven’t thought a lot about. I remember in my youth when many of our textbooks in my small rural school were old and out-dated. I didn’t realize the impact of this until I entered college in a big city where most of the students came from the nearby suburbs. Our society needs to be clear that some things must be equally available to all no matter about the ability to pay, especially when these involve the ability to learn and improve ourselves. The American ideal is that we have equal access to a quality education. We need to be sure in these times of rapid change that some people don’t get left out because of their inability to pay for necessary items.

Comment on The relationship between cultural diversity and economic growth by Dr. Ralph Perrino

Dr. Ralph Perrino — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:54:40 +0000

You make several excellent points. I would agree that globalization has increased the rate of migration exponentially, as has increased technology and greatly expanded travel between nations. What, at one point in history, may have taken months or years, now often takes hours, minutes, or even seconds. So, the impact of immigration on the economies of the world can, on the one hand, be very positive. On the other hand, it can exert enormous pressures that many economies cannot manage efficiently or effectively (unemployment, homelessness, crime, civil unrest, etc.). However, I believe that in the end, cultural diversity is a positive force in any society that seeks to expand the scope and breadth of its creativity and productivity. Creative minds and freedom seeking people have always and will continue to migrate to lands where opportunity is abundant. Closed societies like China, North Korea, Iran, and others will continue to stagnate as they did 500 years ago because they do not see the value of a democratic, open, competitive economic system fed by a diverse, heterogeneous, vibrant population.

Comment on The relationship between cultural diversity and economic growth by Dale Brown

Dale Brown — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:54:44 +0000

I don’t think that anyone can argue that cultural assimilation and diffusion over time will enhance economic development for nations in close proximity. (However, following Marco Polo’s trek to China, and with ensuing voyages by others, Venice became the commercial capital of Europe for nearly a century.) It’s hard to say which has the most profound impact, economic development versus diversity/assimilation; but, for sure, they both feed on each other. Also, I would venture that for rapid-mutual development, peoples of interacting nations must maintain high level but similar core values in areas of openness, curiosity, value of truth, and virtue to name a few.

However, I’m convinced that “rapid economic/cultural development” brings forth its own deprivations: the loss of closeness and security one feels with a strong community, family, and tradition are some. Further, I’m not sure what “rapid” is, but I know it when I see it, and I’m not sure that all development, change, or growth is “good”, but rarely does a person hear an argument to the contrary. .

Comment on Early Decision by Sam

Sam — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:54:38 +0000

You have provided an excellent public service with this objective in-depth review of early decision. As college costs continue to rise much faster than family income more and more families are studying all the alternatives concerning their children’s higher education. This article can contribute significantly to that discussion and a better understanding of the options available. I hope readers will share this with people they know for whom this looks timely and helpful. Sam