One of the main ideas of this article is that educators need to “catch up”. Educators need to understand their students grew up in a different time then them. Everything is digital now, and that is all students know. We cannot expect our students to learn the way we did when we were students. It is easy to understand this difference between generations, but it is another thing to do something about it. According to the article: We have our wisdom to share with them, but this requires us to be “walking” change, not just “talking” it (Understanding Digital Kids ll, p.4). Another main idea of this article is learning through discovery. Instead of always simply laying out all the information to students, teachers need to encourage discovery. Students can learn through problem solving and real-world connections. When students learn through their own discovery, the learning experience become more real and profound (Understanding Digital Kids ll p.6). The third big idea of this article is collaboration. When students get out into the real world, they will need to know how to work well with other people. In today’s culture, students need to know how to collaborate with people near them, as well as people on the other side of the world. Students can learn from one another and grow together by collaborating (Understanding Digital Kids ll p.10). 

 

Two Sides 

 

This article discusses how “we need to let students access information Natively” (Understanding Digital Kids ll p.8). In this section, social media and digital devices are discussed in their relation to the classroom. This can be a tricky subject due to the many opinions on technology. On one side there are many benefits to using social media in the classroom to help students connect, communicate, and even review material. When students go into the workforce, they will need to know how to use technology to do many things. One the other side, schools restrict social media and usage of digital devices for safety reasons. They may do so to prevent online bullying at school or to stop students from getting distracted in class. I can see both sides of this issue, but I do think that with proper supervision, digital devices and social media can be helpful in the classroom.  

 

One Question 

 

I agree that technology is beneficial in the classroom, but how do we ensure that every students is getting equal opportunity toward it? 

Reference
Understanding Digital Kids ll. www.21stcenturyfluency.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17, 2021.