Having grown up at the beginning of the technology age I know what it is like to do things the "old fashioned way." Fortunately for me I have always been drawn to technology and the many ways it can improve the learning experience and create effective & efficient ways to do things. One of the reasons I enjoy finding new technology to use is that it makes most tasks more fun. While fun shouldn't be our main concern when it comes to teaching it definitely makes keeping a classroom full of children more interested and engaged. Keeping students engaged in learning seems to be half our battle in an age where there are so many distractions.
Unlike many teachers, our students are coming to our classrooms already skilled at using many of the available digital devices. They have used tablets, computers, and gaming systems in their homes and if the statistics provided by the Kaiser Foundation(1) are true, they LOVE it. In a recent study the Kaiser Foundation found that in a typical day the average 8 to 18 year old spends 7.5 hours using entertainment media, 4.5 hours watching TV, 1.5 hours on the computer, and over an hour playing video games. It is important to add here that these numbers do not include any time using technology for homework purposes. They also report that children only spend about 25 minutes a day reading an actual book. If we can integrate education into these "screen time" statistics we will be able to advance learning and expand our students knowledge.
While using technology to expand our students knowledge we, as teachers, also have a responsibility to help our them to be responsible with their technology use. We need to teach the critical thinking skills they need to filter the abundance of information they will come into contact with. We need to teach them how to be respectful to others. Part of teaching students about the use of technology is to teach them to be good "digital citizens." I like this term and really think it sums up the shift in the dynamics of our society. Our children are not longer learning to wade through the issues of life on the playground and in the classroom, they are not expected to wade through a much murkier landscape - the internet. I found a site that has really great information for parents about how to keep their child safe in the internet age. StaySafeOnline.org provides not only information on what to tell our children but how to present it to them in a way they will understand. It even provides information for parents on what to do and who to contact if they think their child is at risk.
Probably my biggest concern about teaching elementary students in the 21st Century is not being able to present the information and methods to them but my personal ability to keep up with all the changes and simply knowing what information & resources are the most effective to use. The TIP Model tells us that we need to be "meta-cognitively aware" of where I am at personally at within the T-PACK framework in order to be a smart consumer and make good choices about technology (2). Choosing what to present to my students so that it enhances their learning and doesn't just waste valuable instructional time will be critical. I foresee a lot of professional development in my future and that actually excites me. I like learning new things and I really like sharing all the exciting things available to my students.
(1) Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, "Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds," January 2010
(2) TIP Model online - http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=32768
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