While reading and viewing the materials for this week’s
topic (which really peaked my interest), I realized that a lot of the ideas and
information relates back to my students lives and education, to my own
education, and to the way that I teach and use technology within my classroom. It
is true that students’ lives today function a lot around technology and social
networking. I see it every day with my students. They are constantly checking
their cell phones and updating themselves on the most recent postings from their
friends. I think that as educators we need to remember how much technology has
influenced the student that we see in front of us in the classroom.
For me, I had the best of both worlds. Growing up technology
was just beginning to take off. Gaming wasn't as accessible to me or my peers,
we played outside. We did not have cell phones until late middle school and/or
high school and trust me those cell phone did not have any of the bells and
whistles like the phone do now. We networked by calling home phones and walking
to our friends house. We were updated on our friends’ status by passing notes
in class. By the time I was in high school/college, technology was changing
rapidly and in a time frame of less than 10 years, technology is everywhere and
for the most part everyone has the ability of accessing it. Unlike me, my
students have had these amazing toys and tools since before they could talk and
walk and this has influenced how they learn and how they gather and interpret information.
They are the technology age the click generation; they have been in and grown
up in the thick of the boom of searching, social networking, gadgets and apps.
I agree with the readings that students these days are
connected with technology and that they are resourceful in using technology to
learn. I think that the students have a right to technology and that our system
may need to catch up with the times, I believe the video about teachers not
using technology and that students minds are doing multiple things at once. I
also agree that the old ways of teaching need to be improved, but I think that
is because of the usefulness of technology to society not just technology
alone.
Taking reponsibility for your own learning....this is a truly relevant statement. I often see this in my classroom. "I can't, it's too hard" has became a daily battle cry, somewhere students have been given the idea that everything is optional. Outside of technology, I think a lot of this is the link between parenting and generational transitions. People are parenting in a different way and their kids refusing to be responsible may be a reflection of these changes.
ReplyDeleteI think part of our technology has allowed for less responsibility because of the instant gratification. I remember I wanted to know what Princess Diana's last name was. I lived in Northern Michigan. My parents took/arranged for us to go into Traverse City at least bi-weekly to get to the "giant' library. I would have a notebook to look up all the items I wanted to know about. My school didn't have a current full set of encyclopedias. I would spend at least an hour looking up my questions and writing answers and then another hour checking out books to read. Now- if I have a question of the mundane, I goto the google. It's right there. I don't write it down, nor do I bother committing it to memory as it will always be at my finger tips if needed. The push brain has become lax in that vein. (who remembers phone numbers anymore, spell check has ruined spelling!) The responsibility and push to accept responsibility for learning needs to be constant.
ReplyDeleteWhat you did as a child is AMAZING in today's standards. If a student came up to me right now and told me that they do what you did when you were younger, my heart would break and I would think that they were the smartest kid ever. Things change huh?
DeleteTwo comments: first, I do feel that my age puts me in that 'sweet spot' where I learned how to do things the old fashioned way, but was still in my formative years when technology began to creep into every aspect of my life (e.g., the Internet became accessible to the public during my freshman year of college).
ReplyDeleteSecond, keep in mind that what we think is necessary or now lazy is relative. None of us likely know Latin, but that WAS ESSENTIAL to being considered a "learned" person at the turn of the 20th Century. As people age, we do reminisce about the past...OUR past...as the best of times. But whose were the best of the best? [and yes, I just had to use Google because I was struggling to spell 'reminisce']
Awesome post. Although I know we aren't supposed to say this on our responses, I am going to anyway... I agree with all that you said!! Students are totally lacking critical thinking skills. If the answer doesn't jump at them immediately, they quit.
ReplyDeleteIt may just be in the school that I work at but I think we are doing a pretty good job of keeping up with technology. I could be biased though, since I am the technology teacher :)
I agree with your statement regarding students lacking critical thinking skills however could it be looked at in the same way when comes to the older generation learning new technology? I think maybe both have to do with a change in habit or behavior
ReplyDeleteI think that with older generations it's more fear of change. Critical thinking to me is more of a built in process with in the way problems are solved not a choice of doing or not doing. But I can see where you are coming from, maybe ,more of a road block in both arenas but with different construction.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the statement about students lacking critical thinking skills.another point that I liked is that students should take responsible for their learning. This is something that some students do but other do not. It would be much easier as an educator, if all students cared and took responsibility for their learning.
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustrations. I believe though that your students are simply used to the world that has been handed to them so to speak. The technology is there and they grew up connected. For example, some libraries are even now all digital, so students don't really have to walk into a library. They can if they don't have access to the technologies at home, but only to look up resources online. I have been into the library, but only to study. When have I used it to check out resources? I can do that from home. The Edge generation simply are used to what has been handed to them and expect everything to be instantaneous. It's a downfall of technology. If technology were to go down, then how many of the Edge generation can think on their feet and do basic skills without the technology they're used to? The percentage goes down with each generation. Millennials have the same issue, but the percentage be slightly higher with the critical thinking skills because of the technology that was available for that age group (especially the older ones) versus the newer technology that is available for the elementary children today.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMallory, You made a great point about students constantly checking their cell phones and updating themselves on the most recent postings from their friends.
ReplyDeleteDifferently, technology plays a huge role with today's learners, but are they using it effectively? Are they really multitasks in a positive way, I think that what we need to direct them to the right trend of using technology, I think all of our text books needs to be updated to align with the technology native generation needs.
From my later years in the K-12 classroom, I would start to see more of what you all refer to. Then, there was this charge to do more "critical thinking" in the classroom. However, when you add, you need to remove something, and thus content is being dismissed. However, I would argue that you can't think critically about something you know little about! So, like many things in education, the pendulum swings back and forth. We're about due for a back-to-basics movement after the Common Core party dies down.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! how is the common core could die?
ReplyDelete