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This insightful article written by Bill Smoot stresses the importance of the ubiquity of digital devices impeding the growth of the individual. In today's day and age we are all hyper aware of society's dependence on media. This realization led educator Bill Smoot to assign his students the challenge to spend 48 hours, from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, without electronic media. The result, "by their own admission, their soulfulness and their capacity for human connection are limited by their media-obsessed way of life." I think these findings and this article as a whole prove very helpful to our class, as although the power technology lends to us is undeniable, it has slowly disconnected us from numerous realities and relationships in our own lives. We soon will have to face this specific issue within our own classrooms. I chose this particular article because I believe we need to remain aware that we are going to be teaching a different generation, one that lives and dies by their digital devices. As educators we need to be prepared to react to this aversion to real life experience and connection. We need to strike a balance for our students so that they realize that technology is provided to enhance our lives, not consume it.

NGSS

The article I found was very interesting. HARMAN, a leading technological company and Little Kids Rock, a national music nonprofit teamed together in a partnership to strengthen music education across the country. Dinesh Paliwan, CEO of HARMAN said "our goal at HARMAN is to inspire the next generation to realize their possibilities through the power of music, technology and service".

Go into any elementary school classroom today and ask the students to raise their hand if they play minecraft. I am not a betting man but I would put a lot of money on at least 50% of the students raising their hand. It is probably the most popular game today for youths. This article encourages teachers to embrace it. It is technology through a game in which children are learning, and enjoying it! Not the easiest thing to accomplish in a classroom. The article brings pop culture into play while allowing positive learning.

I thought this was a great article. There have been a lot of research on this game that suggests it's a really great learning game. It helps kids to use their imagination as well and critical thinking and math skills. Incorporating this into the school would be a great idea as this is something kids are very enthusiastic about and are comfortable with.

I enjoyed this article, i feel it would be a good idea to at least give it a try. Minecraft is a game that I have heard of an my best friends elementary school aged children play. I think it would be a good idea , the game helps kids use skills they need like critical thinking and problem solving. They also build things, use their math skills, and are using their imagination all while incorporating technology.

We have indeed become a me and wanting it now generation. This article are quick clean extensions to help make your internet use easier. Some of the extensions if used in a classroom can move along lessons with less down time for students. The Web of Trust extension is great for student users. It allows them to navigate the internet on their own without the fear of them straying to spam sites while you assist others.

There were some fantastic extensions listed in this article. In particular, the StayFocused extension seems like it would be extremely helpful for students. I know I could use it!

Class Dojo allows for teachers to improve behavior by collecting data and generating it for the teacher. Furthermore, this information can then be shared with parents and administrators. Teachers can give their students feedback on their behavior, as well as send quick messages that resemble texts. It also syncs across your devices which is nice for accessing the extension at home.