Experience Trumps Creativity

Can creativity alone expand learning? Yes, of course! Can it expand learning in all disciplines? No, I don't think so. I took biology online this past summer. Yes, I learned a lot about the human body as well as the environment I live in. However, I hardly learned anything from the online labs. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that there are certain areas of learning that cannot be effectively learned online with without creativity.  Science labs is an area that requires hands-on experiential learning. Would you want all the education majors to have their teaching field experience online? No, because there is something about experiencing a classroom and teaching in front of kids that really prepares you for the real world. It is the same way for science majors. They are not going to learn as well with online labs because they need to have the hands-on experience. Another area that would not be the greatest online would be nursing majors. There is a big difference between taking care of patients online for their clinical practice and actually experiencing it for themselves. Nurses need to see the blood, stitch the wounds, meet the patients. That is what makes them nurses. And I am afraid that technology would hinder that in some way.

I am not saying that technology cannot be creative and promote great learning opportunities because it can. Creativity really enhances technology for students. The use of skype, films, smart board and so much more have really helped further technology's influence and success in many learning areas. However, technology is not the solution to the needs of every learning area.

The Rich and the Poor

School inequality is rampant in today's school districts. Rural districts have much fewer funds than wealthy districts. The primary culprit for this is property wealth. Property in rural areas is valued less in the state and therefore, generates a much lower income for schools in that area. In states where local sales tax are part of school funding, the poor rural areas are only worsened. Most schools are abandoned to close the gap of funding for their school. States have attempted to equalize the inequality in school districts by increasing taxes in more rural areas, but this comes with its own set of problems as well.

Can technology fix this problem? I believe that there are some benefits and disadvantages in regards to technology in this issue. One of the major benefits is that online classes are much cheaper and therefore, can help bridge the financial gap school districts are facing. However, online classes require accessibility to a computer. This can be very hard for students with low income or in rural areas without a computer nearby. So, can online classes eliminate school inequality among districts? It might help, but it can never eliminate inequality altogether. In our world, there will always be the rich and the poor. 

"Behind the Screen and into the Hard drive"

I believe that technology does not eliminate gender inequality because it doesn't specifically relate to gender. Technology is not the one that is biased, teachers are. Technology is technology. Just because the teacher implements technology into her classroom does not mean that the teacher herself will not be biased through the teaching process.

Although technology was originally designed for men, women have succeeded in technological advances just as much as men have. Although, when it comes to the hardware of the computer, men have the upper-hand. In high school, I enrolled in an Electronics class thinking it would be fun to try something new. However I soon discovered that I was the only girl that signed up. I felt extremely out of my expertise (in which I was). I was constantly asking for help or clarification. It seemed that every guy in the class knew exactly how to make a strobe light or how to take apart a computer, everyone except me. However, my teacher (who was male) thoroughly enjoyed me in his class actually. He was intrigued that I had stepped out of my comfort zone and chosen to take his course. He said it was a great encouragement to see students challenge themselves in new ways. I even made friends with many of the guys as well. Many of them were underclassmen and saw me, the senior, as someone who was willing to meet new people no matter how nerdy they were. As a girl did I feel inexperienced? Yes, but I had never learned this stuff before. Did I feel neglected? No. I believe there are times when students feel inexperienced in certain subjects that are predominantly male and call it gender inequality.

Some may say that technology is biased; some may say that technology eliminates it. But technology as a whole is simple technology. It cannot feel. It cannot pass judgment. Technology cannot eliminate gender inequality because it neither has no gender nor specifically relates to it. Some technology might appeal to certain genders, and people may call it biased. But it is the teacher who holds the power to eliminate gender inequality in her students by viewing them as human beings and providing a paradigm for the entire class.