Digital Edge Project

The lesson I followed from the Digital Edge Project is called "Poetry Signs with Early Readers." The author is a kindergarten teacher who describes a lesson she created the incorperates technology, singing, literacy, listening, and other domains. Every accpect of the lesson is adaptable to an individual student. She groups her students based on ability which I think is pretty cool. Another part of her lesson that I really like was the introduction. Because the students are in kindergarten and some of them have never been in school before, she begins the lesson by having children go on a scavanger hunt with their families. Each students has a list of items that they must find outside, at home, or somewhere in the community. How fun would that be! It's also a great transition from home life to school life. One downside of this lesson is that I don't believe technollogy was very thoughrly integrated. The teacher only has students learning to copy and paste, and push ctrl S to save. I believe that kindergartners jare much more capable than this. They could certainlly work with the key board and at least type their names. Some of them anyway and she has them already grouped based on ability.

Mitchel Resnick Article

This article was well written. Everytime the author brought up a point I would think to myself, "I understand but I need an example for this to really sink in." Then the fallowing sentences would give a rich real life example.

The examples were really good for clarifying the meaning. The author compares tv, computers, and finger painting. This gave me a very clear mental picture and understanding of how the computer is a medium, just as we've been talking about in class.

The article also informed me about two technilogical advances that I had never heard of before. One was the computer clubhouses. I've heard of computer labs and internet cafes before, but never computer clubhouses. I think this idea is so cool! A place where youth can go and become creaters. I'd also never heard of LEGO MindStorms and that just sounds awsome!

I thought the author brought up a really important point. The author states, "Most of today's computers were designed primarily for use by adults in the workplace. We need to develop a new generation of computer technologies worthy of the next generation of children." Many children are not going to take interest in something that's created for adults. Young generations are the gateway to our future of technology. Targeting that demographic is the key to technological education and future advaces.

One point mentioned in the article I disagreed with. The author states that, "In the digital age, learning can and must become a daylong and lifelong expirience." This is true however, not solely in pertaining to digital technology. This statement is true for all of the ages and all types of education. Education needs to be a lifelong expirience.