Teacher to Be

One of my favourite things that Jabiz wrote was “I see effectively using technology as a way to help students experiment with new tools to help them discover how to access, interpret, and use information not only from static web-based sources, but from interactive student-created networks”. I agree completely, I do not believe that we as teachers should integrate technology into our teaching just for the sake of it. It should apart of us, something we do automatically, something that helps us not inhibits us. Empowering our students to use the technology is a must.

 I love the fact that here is a teacher that is not afraid of the technology and actively goes about his life incorporating it into his teaching and doesn’t view it as a hassle but as an advantage, a guide, something to help him. He repeats what another blogger says and quotes him along with many other blogger. It shows that he not only creates his own blog but he is well read and actively searches other bloggers out and reads what they have to say. He quotes Ewan and write; “It’s more about helping learners become more world-aware, more communicative, learning from each other, understanding first hand what makes the world go around.”

This I believe is the core idea to using technology in our teaching. The internet surrounds the leaner with different cultures, different portals to different worlds. Places they can visit online that they wouldn’t normally be able to visit at school. They can connect with many different people of many different language of different countries. It opens up avenues that weren’t thought possible. I believe that incorporating technology into our teaching is a must and the more you know the better you are at teaching your students the technologies they already have a grasp on. It is what makes the world goes round, it is our world, we need to keep up or be forced to the bottom of the pile, seen to be inferior in our knowledge when compared to the computer savy teens we are teaching.

Is it Age or IT: First steps towards understanding the NET Generation

Firstly, I had a little trouble understanding the problem with understanding the NET generation, probably because I am the NET generation. I only have a vague memory of life without internet, but I was under the age of 12 when that was the case. I think the first time I got a computer I was around the age of 9.  All the questions and comments about NET generation seems to apply to me.

I find myself lost without my phone, I am always connected one way or another. I am proud to be of the NET generation cause this makes it a little easier for me when it comes to teaching my students. Obviously they may always know something different about technology but I am always on top of learning new technologies so am not worried about their knowledge compared to mine. I understand that we as the net generation does not view technology that we have been using as technology because it just is, it is what we use to make assignments, to talk to our friends, to find information.

Within the classroom setting it only makes sense to use technologies that our students know and use everyday.  Reading this made me think about university and the fact that even though we are learning about the digital natives and the need to cater for them, why are we not being catered for then?  There is a youtube video that I found that speaks for all us NET Generations out there that I thought says it all.

A Vision of students today (Click here to watch the video)

The article Is it age… speaks about “Learning is participatory; knowing depends on practice and participation. Digital resources enable experiential learning—something in tune with Net Gen preferences. Rather than being told, Net Geners would rather construct their own learning, assembling information, tools, and frameworks from a variety of sources.” So if this is the case and we are getting taught that this is the case, shouldn’t we be learning through the methods we are being told/taught to teach.

Just something to think about.

Mings’ post

Reading about the fact that someone may be FOB (fresh off the boat) came as quite a shock to me. I never really thought that there were actual people out there that didn’t know about computers, even rudimentary knowledge. I find it refreshing that someone who has never really wanted to have contact with a computer to create, is now attempting to covert to becoming an immigrant. I agree that “this digital technology will act as an energy booster for my students.” That technology is the way to go in the future classrooms as well as the present classrooms. That some people will need to take more time to come into this and that it will be a hard step. I find it brave and encouraging that change is coming to the non native generations.

Image sourced 11 August 2008, from, http://z.about.com/d/familycrafts/1/0/f/y/1/tagclaphand.jpg

(Image sourced August 5,2008, from; http://blaugh.com/cartoons/060901_kindergarten_wifi.gif)

A “Singularity”, the article (which can be accessed by clicking the picture above) suggests has occured in the last decade when it comes to the technological world. I think that though it suggest it happened suddenly, I believe it happened more gradually. I was on the the start of the people growing up around this ‘new’ technology. When I was ten, my dad got us a computer, cell phone e.t.c. Ever since my life has been surrounded by this ‘new’ technology. I found the terms used in this article ‘N’ Generation and ‘D’ Generation kind of different because it demeaning the generation (the only reason they are called this is because they are on the net or digital, what about the outback children, growing up without these devices.) Also the idea that people who are of a different generation aren’t of this ‘digital’ and ‘technological minded doesn’t seem right to me. I know of an 80 year old who are as good at maneuvering around the net as I can.

Within this article it talks about teachers assuming that students are exactly the same as they used to be, but what I don’t understand is how can anyone assume this? Every year different events happen in society that impacts the students life; be it technology, or weather impact or even terrorism.

I agree with the article when it mentions the need to invent but not from scratch. That the old ways can be used and developed to suit their new target. That we can incorporate technologies our students are using to teach whatever the subject.

I like the end when it says that Digital immigrant educators need to change in order to reach their students. Think about the technology and the students you will be reaching!!!

Life online: Teens and technology and the world to come link

I guess the biggest thing I noticed about reading this article was that this is me. I am a Millennial. I realise that I wouldn’t know what to do if I couldn’ t have constant access to the internet. Facebook, creating websites, blogging, this is my life. It never occurred to me that I could be under the same bracket as my students. Albeit I am sure some of my students will know more about the newer technology then I might and likewise I will know more about different technology to them.

I guess what this means for teachers is that they need to know what their students are interested in when it comes to technology. That if the students are going to use technology within the school environment, teachers will need to become tech savy in order to stay one step ahead of the students.