Education and technology 

Acacia Peterson

Students have changed radically; today’s students are no longer the people the system was designed to teach. There has been rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20^th century. Changing the way students are to be taught is crucial, it is one of the main issues today in the American school system. There are two different types of people categorized in the reading the first was Natives, people who grew up with technology and immigrants’ people who did not grow up with technology. In most circumstances the immigrants are the ones teaching the natives, this is a problem because the immigrant’s way of teaching has become outdated in the technology culture that the natives grew up in. So, in result the natives are getting bored in school and not learning as effectively as they could be. The immigrants need to learn how to change their teaching strategies. Creating a system that through computer games, virtual reality, group activities, and hands on learning that is able to be taught to students of all ages and every subject. Would be the answer to our current education crisis, there needs to be a change we can’t go backwards we have to move forward. And the only way to really do that is with innovative thinking and technology. We need to as educators be thinking about how to teach both legacy and future content in the language of digital natives.

There are two sides to this article, in my opinion the two sides are technological thinkers and old school thinkers. There is no way to properly name every pro to thinking technological. But I can name a few, creativity, engagement in learning, stimulation in the classroom, real word experiences, brain development improvement, those are just a few pro’s that I could think of. But if you look at the article from old school thinkers’ side, a couple con’s might be losing a social aspect, some might think technology is the reason students are typically not doing as well in school and that the use in school should be decreased drastically. Even though there will never be a 100% positive outcome to any solution. We need to fix the major problem in front of us and that is that the old school system is just not working for the new age students, it needs to change soon. I think technology is great for the classroom if used in the right way, but this can be resolved by teaching teachers how to use it in a way to benefit the students. Not doing anything at all or trying to go back to old school methods is not the solution. 

How can teachers publicize native methodology’s more effectively?

10/17/2018

There is a major Gap between digital learners and traditional teachers’ digital learners prefer to receive information quickly from multiple sources, multitasking, networking simultaneously with others. While what is generally offered in schools by educator preferences, are low controlled release of info from limited sources, singular processing/single or limited task, students working independently prior to networking and interacting. Another major topic in the article was that educators and education need to catch up to the digital generation. Educators need to become learners themselves and grow in the digital world. While the article is not suggesting changing everything and start over the way some teachers teach, the article just wants educators to be able to adapt the way they teach to the way kids now prefer to learn. Lastly, throughout history education has always struggled to come to terms with new innovative ideas but over time they adapted. If the education system can look back at history and see that the innovative changes had generally good effects, they could also see that technology is just one of the many changes education will go through. 

One side to the article is that, education needs to be reevaluated because of the digital gap that students and teachers are experiencing. But one could argue that teachers have already made a huge step to close that gap, by integrating technology in the classroom. Using technology in the classroom can be very beneficial, creating a fun learning environment, student engagement increases, and the students are familiar with technology. There are also cons to using to much technology, if it is not used appropriately students could end up becoming less engaged in the class and with fellow students. knowing how to effectively integrate technology is the key to a successful classroom. 

 What strategies can we use to appeal to the learning preferences and communication needs of digital learners?

 

10/29/2018

As technology grows more and more sophisticated, we can bring intellectual products of human history to life. Computers can provide instantaneous feedback, they lend themselves naturally to helping students develop systemic understanding of different subjects Using personalized systems and online communities, students can develop tastes for intellectual products and explore niche interests like never, before. Reading, writing, and research will be enhanced in dazzling ways. There are resources that can be used such as Evernote and digo. These sources can help write and annotate papers making writing less stressful.

One of the biggest misconceptions today is that the new emphasis on technology in schools and popular culture will erode the traditional liberal arts education and reorient school so that it favors, vocational, practical training “just-in-case” knowledge instead. In other words, some fear that technology integration will have students learning the latest trends and techniques instead of studying the classics and deep disciplinary knowledge. Others believe the integration of technology will expanding students minds more so than the old traditional way of learning. The reason being is that students now learn better through technology because they grew up using it.

The ability to “think independently;” and how can you do this if you don’t have continuous access to a repository of skills and knowledge (which you presumably carry around you in your head)?

11/12/2018

Assistive technology two different types, While the phrase assistive technology may make us think of computers and computerized devices, assistive technology can also be very low-tech.  When technology is thought of people tend to think of it in a advanced way, (laptops, iPads, phones,etc)there are many forms of technology that people wouldn’t think of to be technology. For example, pencil-grips (the molded plastic grips that slip over a pencil) are considered assistive technology. When using technology in the classroom the teacher needs to know how to properly use it, in order to successfully teach the kids when integrating the technology. The article created a large scale survey study, showing that nearly three-quarters of respondents indicated that improved staff training and knowledge were the most important actions that could be taken to promote technology use. Without proper training the technology would become more harm than benefit, that is why teachers with training and knowledge do so well engaging their students while integrating technology. Mid-tech devices such as audio recorders, portable note takers, mp3 players, calculators, and pentop computers (such as LiveScribe smartpen) can be useful without the cost associated with high-tech devices. The use of mid-tech devices is essential to schools that have lower funding, they provide a way for students with disabilities a way to do everything any other student does without high-tech. 

Some people think that, as a result of such a high use of technology some downfalls might occur, obtaining personal access to laptops and computerized devices does not ensure engagement and increased academic success. It takes effort for teachers to successfully teach with technology, they need training. As a result of lack of training a classroom can fall apart. This might start the assumption that technology does more harm than good, which is only true when not used properly. 

How will teachers gain access to resources that better their knowledge about technology?

How can educators teach in depth about social media?