Educational Insights: February 22, 2010
Dr. Paula Sissel: Superintendent/Elementary Principal
…developing individuals to meet the challenges of a global community
It is readily apparent that students in today’s classrooms are much different than those in the past. “Today’s students are demanding a change in the classroom because of their ability to gather information faster than any previous generation.” (Sheskey, 2010) In order to effectively connect with this new age of students, educators must revise their traditional instructional strategies. What an exciting time to be in education where “learning technology is changing at an exponential rate” (Sheskey)!
In the past, it was the classroom teacher who largely brought the curriculum to the students through textbooks, maps, occasional films, photos, or personal experiences. Students were encouraged to share their experiences with each other in classes as an extension of that learning. Televisions and VCRs became commonplace in the mid 1970s and the late 1980s brought a small number of computers into public schools. In this 21st century, it is time to accept that it is our students who are driving the changes needed in our classrooms.
Today, children arrive in our schools as digital natives. Nicholas Negroponte suggests the “growth of video gaming is just another indication of the way computers are increasingly transforming so many aspects of human communication. We are not waiting on any invention. It is here. It is now. It is almost genetic in its nature, in that each generation will become more digital than the preceding one” (Being Digital, 1995). The frontal lobe in a student’s brain is stimulated by the wide variety and constant exposure to digital influences (e.g.: video games, television, cellular devices, and Web-based communication).
A recent research report reveals teachers are growing more comfortable with digital media. More than three-quarters of K-12 teachers use digital media in their classrooms. 80% report they are frequent or regular users (Digitally Inclined, Grunwald Associates, 2010). This report indicates widespread changes are occurring in education, including more individualized instruction. However, most teachers continue to be the digital immigrants in our schools. Meanwhile, even our youngest teachers most familiar with technology lack high levels of instructional expertise or curriculum knowledge to maximize its use in their lessons.
Sheskey stresses it “is time, right now, for us to develop strategies that connect with students in the 21st century classroom”. Teachers must actively engage students with the digital tools they use daily outside of the classroom to increase personal connections with them. Equally important, they must purposely teach students how to best use these tools as ethically and responsibly as possible. We must teach, model, and expect digital citizenship and media literacy. Without adult guidance, these youngsters lack the maturity to make the best use of technology in their futures. Bridging this digital divide with a strong moral conscience and critical thinking is critical in developing globally competitive students.
Student Responses to Previous Educational Insights
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