I bring this up, because these are the children that will populate the classrooms that I hope to stand in front of some day soon. What must I do to ensnare their focus? I think this is, in a way, what we have been trying to answer throughout our time spent in Teaching with Technology. I think there is an unexpressed understanding that technology must be involved in the classroom for kids to glean the most from the lessons and teachers. How should we do that though? Do we try and teach all of our lessons with technology? Do we let students bring their own technology into the classroom and hope that they "respect" us enough to stay off of Twitter and Snapchat? Do we find a way to engage them through technology outside of the classroom so that they connect the home to the classroom? Which technologies do we bring into the classroom? Prezi? Vocaroo? Cel.ly? Youtube?
Or perhaps it is a combination of some of all of the above? It's such a tough conundrum because we all come into this profession with some expectations of what will work best for us and for our students. Then when we are in training learning how to become a teacher, we are given even more information about what is best and what should work. Yet, what matters more than anything else is understanding your students, the context of the classroom, and what will be best for the most students at that moment. And this shifts from space to space and year to year. The same questions and quandaries are applicable to technology as well. Every year there are new technologies, new problems and new solutions to be understood and implemented. So how do we manage all of these problems to properly engage a collection of students who have the attention span of a goldfish (which is a saying I've never understood, are we to assume because of their confinements that they are easily distracted? Perhaps because their reflection is all around them? Thoughts of a goldfish: "Hey who is that?" "Wait who are you?" "Man why won't anyone talk to me?"). I'm not sure I really have the answer to that question, but equally doubtful that anyone has an answer that works in every context. What I do have, is a willingness to try and a great (developing) background knowledge in technology and education which will serve me well. Hopefully that will persist and I won't ever become a grumpy old jaded teacher saying...
The phrase digital native is a curious one. To me, it suggests that these kids are born into, and have no choice but to grow up with the fingers on the keys and their eyes on a screen. I wonder how true this is though. Right now, as elementary and middle schools exist, most students aren't imbued with technology in the classroom. The trajectory of schooling though is such that, pretty soon, we might create that environment. If we do, will we be fulfilling the "digital native" label for even more students, making that label even more appropriate and honest? Would that ultimately be a good thing? Based on my experiences and opinion of technology I would hazard saying yes...but then I think back my restaurant experiences and I'm not so convinced. How about you?
Firstly, I think that #2fresh would be a great name for a rap artist. Right? I can imagine his recording of #FoodasArt going platinum for sure.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I appreciate your critical interpretation of the characterization of the youngin's as "digital natives". Trying to pick apart this term is extremely difficult. What exactly were they born into? Is there a watershed date after which anyone born is automatically a digital native?
I think it's useful to think about this fictional watershed date as the transitional time in which a nearly infinite ubiquity of information became convenient, accessible via the personal computer or smartphone (which should really be more accurately characterized as a handheld internet device). Devices will change and continue changing; so will the information itself, both in terms of new discovery and new invention (Candy Crush IV: Return of the Twix). But revolutions in the availability of information come only once every few centuries. The invention of the printing press, telephone, telegram, and television come to mind. These are the watershed moments that separate "_____ natives" from the prior generation.
Our interaction with digital natives in the classroom (though I'd argue that, when we teach, our classrooms will be entirely "digitally native") should be driven toward teaching kids how to get the information they want and need, how to be curious, and how to separate good information from bad information. It's more complex than it was for the printing press natives, but I think there's equal opportunity (perhaps even better opportunity) for teaching students that our world and methods of gaining information are forever changing and that success depends on how we process and interact with these changes.
I share many of the same contentions towards the new generation of kids that are going to be the future students of our classrooms one day. The question I struggle with frequently is one that you brought up in this post: How do I ensnare (I like the word choice) the attention of the kids and how much technology is necessary? A question that I have been asking myself more recently is what do I do when I have their attention? Whether technology is being used or not, I think the critical moment for us teachers is to capitalize on the time we have their attention. As we have learned through our ed tech class, and personal experiences no doubt, the attractive and shiny features of some technology can wear off after just a few uses/minutes. How do we maintain the level of engagement that we captured through use of x or y? This question is somewhat rhetorical as I do not think it can be answered or solved completely, but it is something I have been pondering over the last few weeks of teaching. My initial conclusion is fairly simplistic and straight forward: Switch it up and keep it fun. Easy to say, harder to do. Thanks for the post. Always thought provoking and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteCasey,
ReplyDeleteI love your office clips so whenever I want to comment outside of my specified wiki group, I automatically go to your blog. Today I got lucky and got a Lady Gaga reference too (you know it was)! I also love your restaurant tale - a common one that has repeated in my life. Last weekend, I was at Panera (and I am right now too....awkward) and there was a little boy and girl with their mom sitting in the booth next to me. The mom took the 2 year old girl to the bathroom and the 4-5 year old boy stayed in the booth. I was, obviously, cooing about how cute she was to my friend when the boy said "Don't let her cuteness fool you" with a serious look on his little face, "She's the devil." When I asked why he said that she scratches and "throws phones at me." "Whose phones? Plastic ones?" I asked innocently enough. "No. My iPhone," he states as he pulls a real, glass, iPhone out of the pocket of his North Face jacket........ Oh.
I think the digital way in schools would benefit students for so many ways but like you said, the restaurant examples are reasons why I would want to shy away from this.
I disagree with you, however, on one point you seemed to touch on. I think that in many cases, elementary and middle schools students ARE imbued with technology in the classroom. I guess it depends what "level" of tech we're willing to go to, but work with me for a minute. Many clocks in schools now-a-days are digital. Kids in my French class have to learn time off of a digital clock because they can't read clock with "hands." They have even changed the clocks in the books. Many teachers have computers in their room, whether they use them for classroom purposes or just to take attendance, students know they are there. From the time I was in 3rd grade, I had to take typing classes, and write 'reports' about myself on microsoft word. If that was happening that long ago, I can't imagine what they're doing in elementary schools now. Additionally, regardless of the school or the teacher, kids are imbued with the technology of their peers in the classroom. My cousins have iPads and iPod Touchs (The touch part is the most important detail, or so I'm told). The boy at the restaurant had an iPhone. Even if they aren't supposed to use them in class, students see their peers play with them at free time or in the halls. So I agree, many elementary school or middle school teachers may not be leading the technological initiatives that we are learning to lead, but does that necessarily mean that the students are free from the technology? I don't think so. Let's see what you think.
Casey,
ReplyDeleteYou must have read my mind with the restaurant vignette. It horrifies me too, and unfortunately it doesn't stop there. What about the guy at the concert or the ballgame who is tweeting, texting, an taking pictures the whole time without actually experiencing the moment? I think the fact that you are questioning this is good, because it makes me feel like it's not just old guys like me who are concerned.
As it pertains to the classroom, I think it's critical that tech be used to make learning better, not make it easier. Unfortunately, many tech enthusiasts want to use technology for "engaging activities" which in no way help build kids' literacy skills or core knowledge. From my experience, tech is most powerful as a presentation tool, a composition tool, a collaboration tool, and an assessment tool. Anything that falls outside of those domains can get dangerously close to the cart driving the horse. I think we have to ask ourselves this key question: Is this tool helping my student become a better reader and writer? If the answer is no, it might be worth scrapping.
Great post.