Chapter 1 reading

In reading chapter one, I must agree that becoming a 21st century teacher has it's technological challenges. There are always new technologies to try out, and in addition to being able to learn the newest technologies, there is an importance in having support from the other teachers and administration.

I was interested to read about the Generation M concept. If you were to think about it, the generations of students I will be teaching has never known life without an MP3 player, smart phone, or iPad. Given that our adolescents use about six and a half hours of some form of media a day, (Rideout, Roberts, & Foehr, 2005, p.6), it is only natural the schools in which these students are attending adapt to the changing landscape of technology. In thinking about it, with the birth of this generation came the birth of many of our newest technologies. Even I can say I am older than the internet.

I do believe there are important roles involving technology in the classroom. I understand there are issues with technology in the classroom, but I believe my readiness to integrate technology will better help me serve my students. Kids of today are no longer content with the flashcards and repetition ad nausea. Kids of today have been raised with the instant gratification of todays technology. With the advent of YouTube, gone are the days of kids waiting all week for Saturday morning cartoons. Kids today will never know what it is like to wait for your favorite song to come on the radio so you could record it. And God forbid the deejay was talking over your song! Kids today simply stream the music they wish to hear. This is where technology comes into play. As a teacher, if I could use learning games that teach the kids memorization skills such as spelling city or Fast Math, I think it would engage more of my students. I also think games that support critical thinking and creativity are also important, like Sum Dog.

In the concept that there are many teachers and adults that are afraid or unwilling to use technology, while I can understand the apprehension, being intimidated is not an excuse. In this day and age, you can Google just about anything you want to know. We are living in a day and age where you can turn on YouTube just about self help video. There are resources out there to get the information you need, you just have to look for it. My third grader is in a coding class at school. I love that he is being exposed to technology at a young age. There are plenty of videos about software and how to use it. The curriculum coverage or lack thereof, only means that perhaps the teacher or administration isn't trying hard enough to find it. I tutor my son who has Autism, and augment our learning with songs or videos found on YouTube. It helps his learning and he remembers the material more than he would if I lectured him.

In all, technology is not going away, in fact, it is only changing everyday. It is imperative that students know how to use it as a useful resource in their education. I believe that technology for students is often the platform they use to find other interests. A gateway drug if you will. Teaching children about technology while they are young will only lead them to be more confident, comfortable, and a better netizen overall.

Photo credit: Jane Plusben via Flickr

Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.