Victorian Internet

    I enjoyed reading The Victorian Internet last week and learning all about the history of the telegraph.  I was able to make connections to the book which made it even more enjoyable.  The perspective they had on the invention of the telegraph is how many people react to new things, especially educators in education, with new curriculum, technologies, and ideas.  Though there are the possibilities of consequences and negative outcomes, it’s also important to focus on the positive consequences and possibilities new things can bring. 

This book taught me that it’s okay to think of the possible consequences and negative outcomes of new things, but it’s even better to focus on the positive outcomes it will bring.  Yes, there are negative things that occur because of a new invention, idea, etc., but for all those negatives are even more positive outcomes that benefit our society as a whole.  If we’re too afraid to accept, or even think of new ideas, then we’d be hindering ourselves from better things.  For example, educators are always apprehensive of new curriculum and new ideas in education, such as digital technology, but now that we have it, learned about it, and implemented it into our classrooms, we recognize that digital technology and all that it comes with, is overall beneficial to our students.  Yes, there are negative consequences to it, as anything in this world does, but there are lots more positive consequences that resulted from digital technologies in the classroom.  For example, digital technologies allow students with opportunities to express their learning in creative ways, which I believe is the best positive consequence of digital technology.  

Having a positive perspective on new ideas, technologies, etc., will directly impact my classroom because it will allow my students opportunities to express their learning in creative ways.  These new technologies will be taught and implemented in my classroom so students have a plethora of resources to use when it comes to learning.  With those new resources, they then can make a decision for themselves on what tool they want to use when they’re expressing their learning and showing understanding with a topic or standard.  This enables the activity to be student-oriented rather than teacher-oriented.  Yes, there will be constraints and students have to be taught how to appropriately use these resources, but once they’re skilled in that resource, they’ll be able to apply it now and in the future.  

This week’s reading taught me to focus on the positive, not only with new ideas, technologies, and etc., but with life in general.  Dwelling on the possibilities of negative outcomes requires way more effort than focusing on the positive outcomes and how that thing can benefit our society as a whole.