Reflecting on media in the classroom

I have never used a power point presentation in the classroom, the main reason for this is that my classroom simply does not have the technological capabilities. Our school until just this year definitely was not working at critical mass. Instead of having technology in classrooms that reached everyone, we have one or two computers. In the case of my classroom these were rarely used for anything other than games after class. This year though projectors were put into all 5th thru 3rd grade classrooms, with connections to the internet!!! So I could not use power points in my classes if I so desired. I really like the idea of having a slide that requires input from the students. I teach 5th grade and if i student up in front of them and talked for really more than 6 minutes with out getting them actively involved I would lose most of them.

I was intruiged by the comparison of the interent to the rivers, roads and sky ways that in the past have been the mode of information distribution. I have to admit I think it is a little sad. I am not a big fan of technology, I know that it has helped in so many ways, opens up so much information to people, but it seems totake away so much as well. People are so often rushing aorund with their nose in a blackberry, text some friends miles a way and not paying a bit of attention to the world right in front of them. I don't want my son to be so obssessd my the newest technology that he doesn't have desire to go out side and hike or play with dog.