Turning on the Lights

This article was very interesting to me.  I never really thought about school being the place where students today "turn off the lights" since they have to turn off their technology gadgets.  This is because I know that things such as computers and cell phones can be a great distraction from learning in the classroom.  On the other hand, computers can be a great tool, if used correctly, to help students learn and not be bored out of their minds.  It is easy to see that the younger generation knows so much more about the world and technology than our older generations knew at their age.  This just means that as educators, we need to remain flexible and willing to change with the times. 
I personally do not want to have my classroom in the future be based solely on technology, I want my students to have an imagination outside of computers and television.  I am an outdoorsy person, and I love being active, and this is something that I feel the next generation is going to lose a passion for.  I can picture camping becoming a trip with RVs, TVs, video games, and eating out at meal times.  Getting out in the nature, away from phones and technology, is very refreshing and an aspect of life that I hope my students will want to venture out and do.  This being said, in my classroom, I think I will use technology enough to keep my students engaged, to allow them to use their creativity as they know it, to keep them learning about their future, but I will also have times where I put technology aside, we will learn in the more classic way, understanding there is another side to life that we need to explore and be a part of. 
This article made some very good points to why technology should be used in the classroom and why it is beneficial.  But I do not agree with everything said, for example in Prensky's Principles for Principals, he mentions that computerized exercise games should be introduced.  I feel that this is taking technology one step too far in schools.  Kids can play those games on their own at home, but when in school, students should interact with each other, learn new skills, know what it is like to work towards a common goal with a peer, and exercise in the fresh air playing games that make the mind think beyond looking at a TV.  Fitness in school is an opportunity to let our brains relax and take a break from technology, and a time to rejuvenate and allow our bodies to be fit and healthy.  All in all, this article had many good points to it and opened my mind to the idea of using more technology in the classroom, it also makes me a little nervous as to how much technology is going to take over our school system in the future.