Team 3- Chapter 11: Teachers Must Teach Students Visually

Chapter 11 is focused on the shift from traditional reading, writing, and communicating to online and visual learning and what impact the increase of new technologies has had. Page 118 states, "A new way of communicating is rapidly emerging, one that incorporates visual components along with words to convey messages more effectively for people operating in the fast-paced, time-starved modern personal and professional environment" (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). The question is, do you agree or disagree with the push for more online and visual learning?  Is traditional reading still important?  Page 123 states, "What we are saying is that a new medium like the World Wide Web should be used as the primary method for communication at least part of the time in the classroom" (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). What are your thoughts in regards to the idea that teachers should focus more time on "principles of visual image construction" (pg. 124), instead of more traditional reading and ways of communicating information?

Team 3 Chapter 10-Teachers must let students collaborate

In chapter 10,  Jukes focuses on the importance of collaboration between students. Jukes states that collaboration is key to productivity in the digital world and that collaboration is happening more in personal lives as well as the modern workplace. Whether they know it or not, students are already collaborating using social networking. Juke's states "collaboration skills are essential skills for success in the modern workplace"and we must prepare our students for this in the future by teaching collaborating techniques and projects within the classroom.  Do you agree with Jukes that collaboration in the workplace is increasing?

Jukes states teachers should focus on teaching students communication skills, how to plan joint work, now to negotiate the distribution of work between group members, and how to resolve conflict when collaborating.  Jukes states students can collaborate in the classroom by producing real digital work such as:  creating a website, making a video, participating in a blog or completing a presentation. What are some ways you can incorporate student collaboration via techhnology in your classroom or future classroom?

What are some benefits of student collaboration versus independent work?
Do you think there are any downsides or negatives to collaboration in the classroom?

Feel free to answer any of the bold questions- you do not have to touch on all of them!

Team 3 - Chapter 12

In chapter 12, we read about changing how we evaluate our new students. Jukes makes mention of the Swiss watch makers who were once the premier watch makers in the world. When the new digital watch appeared, the Swiss ignored it and subsequently many lost their jobs since they refused to adapt. Could this parable be analogous to how we teach and evaluate our digital students? He mentions "we teach them the process of reading to empower them to read magazines, cereal boxes, product instructions, websites, and books we never dreamed of when we started." It is becoming clear that the process is much more important to learn than the content (albeit content is still hugely important to forming skills, as Jukes comments). Content can be searched for and "Googled". How do we evaluate process, instead of content? What do we need as educators to evaluate process? 

Team 2 Chapter 5

The dropout rate is incredibly high in the United States and it is an issue that is going to cause many issues in the future. Future generations are going to be impacted by this high rate and the economy and work force would be highly jeopardized. Jukes, McCain, and Crockett discuss in this chapter about  how dropouts are "An Impending Tragedy for Education," and technology can play a pivotal role the increasing number of dropouts among students. As teachers how can we address this issue, and use student digital skills as support to keep them in school?  How can we encourage the digital generation the importance of education for future careers?

Team 2 Chapter 8

After looking at Dale’s Learning Cone we see that teachers talking at students is the least effective way to teach. Jukes, McCain, and Crockett say that most teachers will resist changing their teaching style because that is how they were taught, they have to get their students ready for the test, or that it is what they are comfortable doing. Is this something that you see in your school? What do you think would be a good way to help teachers change their teaching style to be more applicable to the digital student?  Also what are your thoughts on standardized tests? Do you think there should be a different form of assessment since we are teaching a new generation of students? If so what do you think it should be?  I know that I have just asked a lot of questions you do not have to answer them all just pick a few and give your thoughts on it.

Team 2 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Teachers Must Let Students Access Information Natively

I like that the chapter started with this quote: "We can no longer afford to educate today's students for tomorrow's world with yesterday's schools." I think this is a great quote because as we have been reading in our book, Understanding The Digital Generation, there are still teachers in schools today who do not use today's resources and technologies in their classrooms to educate the students.  This is only holding today's students back in their learning process.

Chapter 9 talks about accessing information natively, which ultimately means young people who have grown in the digital world will use new digital tools while employing strategies that are foreign to older people who grew up in a different non-digital world. Why is it important to allow students to access information natively?

"What kids today are learning outside of school is better preparing them for life than what they are learning in school." Think about this statement and let me know what some steps are that we as future/current teachers could do to change this?

Team 2 Chapter 6
It's Time to Catch Up!!!!

Jukes, McCain and Crockett spend the time in chapter six to explain that we, as teachers, need to take the time to catch up with the digital world. We are stuck in our "old ways".  As teachers, it is our responsibility to be life long learners and to incorporate our new findings into our classrooms and the new digital technologies that are available to us. Incorporating a digital world into your classroom that our students are involved in will benefit their learning and engagement. The authors use the term "Velcro learning"-when knowledge and relevance combine to make learning stick in the minds of students. What are some ways you can incorporate "Velcro Learning" into your classroom in a digital way?  Jukes, McCain and Crockett believe that teachers should "dive" into the digital world by reading Adventures of Teenager Jeremy and his Long-Suffering Non-digital  Parents in the Cartoon Strip Zits. They also recommend exploring the internet.  What are some other possibilities for educators to "catch up" to the digital generation?

Team 2 Chapter 7

Chapter 7, A Shift to Whole-Mind Instruction, discussed high stakes tests, how students are prepared for these tests and the types of questions that these tests ask.  Jukes explains throughout the chapter that the way we are teaching students (because of these test) are not benefitting students in the working world today.  He explains that low level questions (recall) were important in the world of industrial life in the 20th century because those were the skills employees needed.  What are some skills that employees look for today?  "Today's generation has discovered that memorizing is not nearly as important a skill as the skill of knowing how to get the information when you need it" said Jukes.  Do you agree or disagree with this comment? Are we preparing students for a world that no longer exists?  How can we change our instruction to help students develop skills they need in todays workforce?

Team 1- Chapter 1

Chapter One discusses the need for balance, with regards to technology,  in the lives of both children and the teachers that educate them. We are often bombarded with studies that indicate the amount of time children spend in front of technological devices is doing great harm to them socially and developmentally. Had you thought about the idea of teachers also living unbalanced lives; heavy on traditional instruction, light on digital experiences?  Do you believe this to generally be true? If so, do you believe that teachers who rely on traditional methods are less effective than teachers that utilize current technology? Why or why not? Some may argue that students need traditional teaching practices and "old-school" instruction and activities to foster their imagination and their ability to focus on one task at hand. What is your opinion on this argument?

Team 1 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 discussed the generational differences that have been studied due to the increased influence of technology. In addition, the chapter broke down exactly how children are different in terms of their neuroplasticity (process of ongoing reorganization and restructuring of the brain in response to intense inputs and constant stimulation) and their visual memory/processing skills. The chapter also cited information regarding why schools continue the same process of instruction despite research showing it is no longer working. Do you believe schools are failing children based on their different needs? Also, The chapter discussed how many of the skills children develop based on Digital Bombardment (use of computers, video games, DVD players, cell phones, Ipods/Ipads) go ignored by educators on assessments. Where does the new common core rank in terms of assessment on these skills?

Team 1- Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, Jukes, McCain, and Crockett made some valid points about the problem of the gap that educators are facing. They discussed how it is hard for educators to connect with their students and get them engaged when they are still trying to teach without embracing the digital world. On page 16 it said, "The digital generation has a completely new and different set of skills than the ones we have and value. They don't need to be fixed; rather, we need to use and build on the new skills they bring to the classroom." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you think it is ok for teachers to be "stuck" in the old ways of teaching? By that, I mean teaching without the use of a variety of digital technologies. Think about the way you were taught as a child and how different children grow up today. Shouldn't we embrace the new way of learning? Think about all of the possibilities of growth not only for the student, but also for the teacher. Think about this... what are some ways teachers can learn these new skill sets of the digital generation? Should schools be providing workshops for teachers? (You do not need to answer ALL of my questions but just pick one that you feel the most connection with or something that you want to elaborate on!!)

Team 1- Chapter 4

In chapter 4, Jukes, McCain, and Crockett make several comparisons between digital learners and many educators.  One comparison the authors make is that "Digital learners prefer receiving information quickly from multiple multimedia sources while many educators prefer slow and controlled release of information from limited sources" (pg. 36).  Do you agree or disagree with this statement and why?  Do you believe that digital learning is beneficial for students or does it hinder instruction and why?  As a substitute teacher, I have worked with the "older generation" teachers, as well as the "newer" or younger generation teachers.  Each type of teacher has his/her own style of teaching.  What are your thoughts/opinions of the "older generation" teachers who do not like to use a lot of technology in the classroom and who do not cater to our growing generation of digital learners?  (Please answer at least one of these questions, if not all :))

Based upon Jukes's, Tapscott's and Carr's theories, do you believe that technology is changing students cognitive abilities and if so how? Include findings from any similar or conflicting literature.

Based-upon whether you are considered a digital native/student or if digital is your second language, explain how you think technology is changing pedagogy delivery in the class?