Technology: A Giant Soul-Sucking Leech?

by Kevin C., Friendswood Junior High student

At the National Middle School Association Conference, we got to look at some of the newest technology meant for use in the classroom. Now, some teachers think that technology makes teaching more complicated, but technology makes learning more fun for the students. For example, the Mimio can turn any whiteboard into an interactive playground. The Mimio has revolutionized my school by bringing an enthusiasm for technology into the twenty-two classrooms that boast it.

However, I have personally set up six or seven of the Mimios at our school. Why? Because most of the teachers at our school are in their "golden age" and are not familiar with technology of this century. When I first started to set up the Mimios, I heard many times that I was wasting my time and that there was no hope. The teachers would most likely not even touch it. They were so intimidated by the thought of a piece of machinery stuck to their whiteboard, as if it were a giant leech sucking the souls out of unsuspecting educators made to implement technology in their classrooms. Oh, the horror!

Truth be told, if you just ask the students (or read the instruction manual), you can learn a lot about how a tech-na-ma-logical contraption works. And believe it or not, it makes for a friendlier learning environment, as the very thing that once intimidated you so is the friendly leprechaun at the end of the rainbow that offers you a pot of gold: the enthusiasm and adoration of your students. In this era of tech-na-ma-logical doo-ma-hickeys, the key to your students' heart is through their computer.