Tuesday, May 27, 2014
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!!)
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I agree with McCains statement that as educators we need to keep up with current technology and utilize it in the classroom. As teachers, we are lifelong learners and must constantly reflect and modify how we teach. I personally have talked to some teachers who feel it is not their responsibility to incorporate newer technology in the classroom. For example, I know a teacher who still uses an overhead projector and students in the beginning of the year asked "What is that machine?". I think schools should be pressuring teachers who have not already incorporated new technology into the classroom to do so and they should provide the proper training or professional development. I imagine it must be hard for some older adults and educators to begin to use some unfamiliar technologies in the classroom such as Smartboards or iPads. I believe we need to embrace the new way students are engaged and learning- if we don't the "gap" between teacher and students could widen.
ReplyDeleteOne question I have: How will/do schools without funding for computers and new technologies deal with this problem and expanding "gap"?
You added a good question about funding for technology. How do you believe educational institutions keep up with rapid changes in technology and ultimately judge the value to student learning?
DeleteHi Samantha,
DeleteI teach at a small Christian school and we have no funding for new technology. We have been able to get Smartboards by holding scholastic book fairs. We currently have two Smartboard in our school. We have one in the Library and one for the middle school. I need to get my name on the list to get one for the high school. Other than that If we want new technology for our students we either have to have a fundraiser or buy it with our own money. I don’t know how public schools without funding will do it.
I believe that many times people get set in their ways on thinking what is right, wrong, and acceptable. It is hard for many people, not just educators, to completely change their beliefs and opinions on things, especially when it is about something they know little about. The unknown is scary to people and that is what I think the biggest issue is with technology.
ReplyDeleteBecause of technology the digital generation has a different set of skills that people who are not of the digital generation do not understand and what they don't understand they think is bad. Think about a class you struggled to understand in school, my guess is that you did not enjoy the class. This is the same concept, teachers generally are not from the digital generation, they do not understand it, and therefore do not appreciate the skills that students take from it.
I completely agree with the statement from Jukes and think that we need to embrace these skills students have, especially if it is a skill we lack. I have found that classrooms run much more smoothly when there is a good relationship between the student and teacher. If students know they are bringing a skill to the class and are treated more as equals and with respect then they are more likely to take more of a role and putting more effort into the class. If we embrace their way of thinking and collaborate we will have a much more productive environment. As stated by Jukes, " We must take a moment to realize we are not in our world anymore. This is a new digital world. It's not going back to the way it was." What can we do in our individual classrooms to embrace these new ways of thinking and how much control do we need to put in the hands of our students?
I would like to add to your question. How do teachers learn to be facilitators of students learning and help student become independent critical thinkers? These methods may or may not include technology integration, but based upon the research on digital natives, they will generally look to using visual and auditory methods to learn.
DeleteNicole, I can see how Twitter post could get students interested and provide a way for them to independantly look at information and share it with the class. Thanks for sharing the link.
DeleteDo I think it is okay for teachers to be “stuck” in the old ways of teaching? I think the world is moving too fast and changing too often to say that the way things were, with the traditional styles of teaching that many adults grew up with, will solely continue to satisfy the needs of today’s students and with the digital generation. With technology playing as prominent a role as it does in today’s society, different skills are needed to be successful. Different, however, does not mean one set of skills is superior or inferior. Reading, writing, and math will always be important skills for students to have, but the way in which teachers present the information needs to catch up with the times. “Given the state and rate of change in our society today, if all kids learn to do is read, write, and numerate by 20th century standards, they will not be literate by the standards of the 21st century” (Jukes, McCain, & Crockett, 2010). If teachers want to successfully reach and teach their students they need to engage them, but they also need to be able to connect to them, “Brain research tells us this connection is a key to effective instruction” (Jukes, McCain, & Crockett, 2010). In order to do this, however, teachers need to understand that the experiences they had as children are not the same experiences that their students are currently experiencing (Jukes, McCain, & Crockett, 2010). So I believe teachers need to embrace new ways of learning. I believe teachers should be life-long learners. Just like teachers adapt to a new class of students every year, I feel they should also adapt their teaching style for the needs of their students to be successful in the current society. I question, however, with the drive and push for technology in today’s schools, what happens to schools that do not have the finances to have the latest technology and resources in this digital generation?
ReplyDeleteI question that myself. Is professional development enough? I'm not sure because that way we are still just learning from adults and not learning from the source (the kids). I believe we should let the students show us how they focus and including them in their instruction will help them to not only teach us, but be engaged in their learning. Students like to be out of their seats and this will help in that.
ReplyDeleteTo answer Matthew's questions, "Is professional development enough?" and "Should we have the students showing us how they focus and let them be a part of their instruction?" No, I do not feel that professional development is enough. Sure, teachers attending seminars on learning new teaching strategies that help integrate technology and other digital learning tools/resources into classroom instruction will be effective, but in order to really connect with the students in your class, it is important that teachers talk to their students and let the students' voices be heard on what type of instruction works for each student as an individual. Students can be effective instructors to teachers, all we have to do is listen.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with McCains statement that we as educators should be incorporating new technology into our classrooms. We need to be lifelong learners with a goal to learn how to use and incorporate different technologies in our classes to keep our students engaged in the class and ready to go into the work world knowing how to use the tools (new technologies) that they will be required to use. I don’t think we should completely give up all of the “old school” ways of teaching but we need to find a way to mix both technology and “old school” teaching so that we are helping our students develop the skills that they will need for their future.
ReplyDeleteMatthew, I would have to agree with both Nicole and Cienna on their answer to your question. I know that all of my students like it when I ask for their impute on instruction in the class and are much more focused when I’m having them do part of the instruction.
ReplyDeleteI have a question about digital students and multitasking. What are your thoughts on students ability to cognitively process information and learn something new with media distractions? There is some research that shows both the pros and cons of multitasking and cognition.
ReplyDeleteMatthew,
ReplyDeleteYou raise a great question. I do not believe professional development is enough. I believe we need to give student more control and say over the techniques and methods we use to teach students. The students know what works best for the them so by giving them that voice, along with the professional development would be more of an ideal situation. Students should be apart of our professional development!