Tonya+Keown

=**Descriptive Consultancy Protocol:**=

=My many of my students have terrible spelling and handwriting.= =When a student is writing a rough draft, some research has shown that learners should begin their rough draft on a computer if the intention is to produce a final product typed.= =Is this hindering the students ability to learn to spell and practice handwriting?= =If so, is it okay that our youth continue to decline in their ability to spell because they are accustomed to using "spell check", or is it actually better since they are able to write freely without the worry of how to spell allowing their creative side to flourish in their writing?= =My issue is two fold. I personally prefer for my students to type all final papers they produce for me in class, however, I have been questioned for not having them first write the rough draft by hand first, then edit and lastly type the final paper.= =I personally do not write in such a method, therefore I do not feel my students should have to either.= =I give a mandated spelling test each week as prescribed by the district.= =Is this enough?= =Am I hurting my students or helping them?= =If technology is the way of our future why should my students be writing rough drafts by hand instead of typing their assignments? Other than Word Pad (lack of features) how can I continue to use the technology without hindering spelling and handwriting?= =Suggestions:= =Handwriting has changed, but keep what your doing. Juices are flowing. Think better when typing.= =Turn off auto correct on Word.= =Use proof reading marks.= =Use the comment feature.=

=Theory Presentation=

ISBN: 978-0-07-159206-2
Christensen, C.M., Horn, M.B., & Johnson, C.W. (2008). //Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns.// Chicago: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishers.


 * This is a first-rate read for educationalist and any person who is concerned with gaining more knowledge about the modification process of today’s instruction and why an institutional transformation in the area of education does not occur often enough, much less successfully, or efficiently.

Authors Christensen, Horn and Johnson concentrate on disruptive innovation as a method to transform our schools and revolutionize our method of learning with the focal point on instructional change. Their method is not hard to comprehend and in quintessence, they demonstrate why and how traditional and conventional organizations feel innovation is so difficult, and why disruptive innovation is more probable to become successful once it occurs from outside the standardized organization.

To me, the main purpose of this book is to convince educators and the like that something as simple as a laptop can turn instruction into a more valuable and effective tool by individualizing instruction. The crucial examination that Christensen elects is that every learner has diverse intellect, which consist of multiple layers and ways of learning such as logic, language, reasoning, and physical adaptation, just to name a few. Therefore the school classroom, which must standardize all teaching methods for a specific subject, can’t suitably adjust the teaching of each subject to the learning and intelligence design of each learner.

However, in theory a computer-centered education would be able to conquer the standardized approach. Although Christensen does reason that the taking on of computer-based education as a complete replacement to the teacher directed learning environment is not the likely solution to a productive and successful adoption.

Additionally, the authors’ challenge that innovative technology could be the best solution to improving a student's performance in the classroom, therefore, it would not be too farfetched for Christian to make his next book about how to educate an adequate sum of educators in the ways of this advance innovation with the aim being how the disruption will take shape.**

**ISBN- 978-1585426393**
The author, Mark Bauerlein parades criticism towards the underlying deception that Americans are more intelligent than ever before because of technology and he shows pity towards educators who have to teach within today’s innovative era of computers, while they try and invent new ways of teaching. Especially since most of America has the belief that a computer by itself will rescue us and guarantee the future. He imposes the idea that Americans believe that one way or another, the machinery that provides us with spelling binding video games and endless amounts of Reality TV in our offices, bedrooms and living rooms, will also supernaturally educate the youth of today. He presents the absurdity of that notion in dramatic detail. In addition, he places an interest on the problem by giving statistics that supports an idea that American’s youth is not getting any smarter in spite of the growing use of technology in their lives. Then he reveals how our schools have altered curriculum because computers are being used more and more in education. He goes on to quote surveys that declare that technology is not producing smarter children but instead revealing how principles are being lessened in the name of acclimatizing to the "new age" of technology. In the beginning of the book, Bauerlein willingly produces his evidence of why he says today’s younger generations are weak minded and simply put, less intelligent than those of an older generation. Bauerlein says, "A parent, teacher or journalist who doesn't see the problem would have to be blind." Having one to believe that the youth of today, by and large, are offensively ignorant to valued customs and traditions. In later chapters, Bauerlein plunges into how "The Dumbest Generation" was brought into existence. One position prevails in that today’s youth has a disdainful view of history and tradition. Bauerlein discusses an instance where an artist of the younger generation expresses a lack of knowledge to who one of our great artists of all time was and to add insult to injury he doesn’t even care. One might say that it maybe effortless to write off a book such as this with it’s farcically wounding title as a nostalgic yearning for the “days gone by”, but I do not believe that is the case. As a teacher of 5th graders and a mother of two girls who are now 22 and 12. I do believe some of what Bauerlein says is true to a fault. Today's youth are not dumb, but they are sadly unaware and ignorant in many areas such as history. In addition, most rely on their emotions to solve problems and due to the grossly lacking of an attention span we have one generation who has single handily invented ADD/ADHD. When you intertwine these together; you get young adults who are incompetent of producing constant constructive point of view for a debatable argument from a historical point of view, much less comprehend it.
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Although I thought that, "The Dumbest Generation" was an attention-grabbing, thought provoking novel, I did not feel that the novelist’s point of view in defense of his main idea was exceedingly convincing. I do not believe that technologies in themselves are corrupt or worthless. PowerPoint, Publisher, Microsoft Word, and Excel (just to name a few) along with the Internet are ingenious inventions and a dream come true for those who work with loads of information. I believe the real problem is finding a way to get our youth to use them intelligently so that they can gain the insurmountable knowledge they have to offer them. Bottom line, the under 30 generation are our Digital Natives therefore they are accustomed to learning via technology therefore just like everything else in our lives we have to adapt to this new way of learning. I admit that even I have lost my spelling ability to a fault because I know I can spell check it, however because I am able to spell check and create via Word I know I produce better writing than I would if I were to put it to pen and paper. If technology were going away, I could see where we might need to take a step back and help the younger generation not rely so much on technology, however the opposite is actually occurring, therefore we must embrace it and use it to its finest. Although not everyone will love this book, especially the under 30 generation. I do believe it is thought provoking and it will open up your eyes in a new way. **

ISBN: 1-55778-858-8

==**An Excellent site provided by Prensky on his site [|Marc Prensky] to look up and use games as a parent and educator: [|Games, Parents, Teachers]**==

=Hear Marc answer tough questions: **[|Marc Prensky Q&A Session (Video)]**=

**Marc Prensky (2006), //Don’t Bother Me Mom—I’m Learning//**
=__Book Review**__ = = =

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This is a book I feel all parents should read. For parents, this book is a skillful basic coverage concerning video and computer games. It formulates a fair argument for why these games benefit children but, more significantly, it simply enlightens one into the gaming and computer argot and offers a paradigm of popular software. If a parent actually wants to put forth the energy to comprehend what interests their child regarding computers and games, then this book is a great place to start. It also gives parents encouraging guidance on how to connect with their children through the use of games. In addition, Prensky opens our eyes to the significance of understanding games and since they will not be going away, both parents and educators should do all they can to acquire as much insight into what our youth of today are intrigued by.

With that said, I as an educator am not entirely convinced by some of Prensky’s conclusions about the educational worth of these games. I have the same opinion that these games are undoubtedly not detrimental to children, any more than some other "conventional” childhood entertainment... (Any activity, such as reading, sports, etc., can be detrimental if done excessively and solely. It is the job of the parent to monitor their child's activities and press them for moderation when we see them slipping into overindulgence.) As a teacher who loves technology, I accede that they can cultivate and even enhance aptitude, proficiency, and skillfulness that are useful for our students, and I also agree that technology and progressive contemporary populace are re-wiring the brains of today’s youth in a way that is quite different and more diverse; therefore we as teachers are obligated to accept and deal with this new way of learning.

However, I do not think one should forestall to obtain any novel understanding or furtive pedagogy for linking with and teaching children. There is a significant deficient amount of research behind this book, along with a misleading declaration about the absolute effectiveness of games in relation to learning in spite of a lack of empirical foundation. I have yet to see a game that genuinely imparts core curriculum in a successful and effectual approach. It is my hope that our future will bring forth vigorous games that will teach whole curriculum suitably, but even with all my support of technology; especially in a classroom, I simply see it as a tool for now, not as a direct guide and like all utensils, it can be used properly or inadequately but as always, it goes back to the individual hand that controls it.