Michael Wesch has made a video giving us a broad view of college students today. Students today are busy multitasking... texting, twittering, facebooking, blogging, emailing, taking notes, and all while listening to their ipod. It's hard to define a typical student anymore. People of all ages and all backgrounds are walking around campuses, changing their paths, their lives. One thing that is similar across the board is technology is in our face, and there's no way of turning our back to it. Technology is fun, interesting, and always being updated. There's something for everyone in my opinion, and the search is the best part!
Kelly Hines suggests that it's not all about the technology... We keep shouting technology! technology! but what are these teachers doing with it? If the new age ideas are in the hands of old thinking, nothing will blossom. There are so many tools available to us through the use of technology. But where is the instruction? How is what is being taught being taught?? Are we as teachers challenging our students? Are we preparing these students for the forward thinking they will be required to use to be able to be successful citizens? I think we need to focus more on learning ourselves...learning from our students and sharing with them what we learn. This technological journey can be taken by all, teacher and student alike and with the right approach by the teacher, technology will shine the light on our futures.
Karl Fisch asks us if it's okay for teachers to be technologically illiterate. I say no it's not. I agree with him when he says that for this day and age that we're in, not being tech literate is like not being able to read and write back in the beginning of the 20th century. Fisch also implements the idea that technology is "a part of life, and not an add on". Teachers need to embrace this idea. If we don't, we will be left in the dust. We are living in exponential times, and we must be able to keep up. Gary Haye's social media count was shocking to me, (check it out here) showing by the second how many facebook members are added, how many tweets and blogs are being posted, how many videos on youtube are being watched, and how many emails are being sent globally. With data like this, being updated literally by the second, it's impossible to reject the fact that technology is a part of our lives. Being tech illiterate will leave you with very few opportunities to grow and prosper. Being tech illiterate AND a teacher is a dangerous combination that is sure to hinder the learning process of some students. We must not let this happen by continuing to learn about technology and by sharing the passion to learn with our students.
I agree technology is fun and always changing. As teachers it is a challenge to keep up with our students and their knowledge of the Internet. I hope we can keep up with them or least accept the fact that they can teach us a thing or two about technology! Even teachers are learning daily with our students.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment about tech illiterate teachers being a danger - a bit like having a woodwork teacher who didn't know how to operate the tools in his workshop. I wouldn't like to trust my own child to his class!!
ReplyDeleteThanks soooo much for commenting on our kids work. We appreciate it tremendously. And even if you only have time to visit - those 'measle dots' on the kids world maps mean so much to them when they come from another country!