As an educator in the 21st Century, I admit that I am intimidated by the prospect of keeping up with the “digital natives”… I thought, naively, that my Gen-X label was about as “legit” as things got; we saw the invention of the Internet, aged through school as computers became a regular part of household electronics… I can remember switching from record players, to cassette tapes, and then being quite certain that CDs were the most highly sophisticated technology music would ever see… I know it is not in my make-up to have invented MP3 players/iPods as I clearly cannot begin to comprehend the possibilities of where technology may take us next. The best I can hope for is to maintain motivation to embrace the cutting edge and use my creativity to stay relevant in educating tomorrow’s students.
The “Digital Age” will live in history books (or e-books as it may be) much like the “Dark Ages” or the “Renaissance” live on in chapter titles. However, the glaring difference will be that the Digital Age is not a period with any presumable ending. It would seem that technological innovations, much like the invention of the wheel in its heyday, will endlessly evolve, continuing to change our culture and world.
Accepting the inevitability of the demands digital natives will place upon the educational system, it becomes the challenge of educational leaders to make teaching and learning culturally relevant. Defined in wikipedia: "Culturally Relevant Teaching is a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes,”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culturally_relevant_teaching). Seemingly, this approach to teaching would contribute to the type of constructivist teaching/learning that we aspire to provide to students. Noted by John Uzo Ogbu, "A culturally relevant pedagogy must provide a way for students to maintain their cultural identity while succeeding academically,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culturally_relevant_teaching). In years past, this proposed pedagogy could have been interpreted: ‘how do I connect with students’ schema and build on what they know from their home/demographic point of reference?’ Now, added to that loaded question is the daunting challenge to meet students in the middle of a paradigm shift, connect across numerous cultural factors, and stay current with the technological savviness of a wi-fi generation.
Given the challenge of keeping education current with technology trends, I value the information presented by Project Tomorrow. I see exciting possibilities within students’ connections to other students around the world and I wonder how to leverage those connections within the learning environment to bring the connections from “social networking” to “educational networking”. When data shows student interest in STEM fields dropping off in 3rd grade, I wonder how technology could prevent that trend or perhaps re-engage students who lost interest along the way. From the data reported by Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, I was not at all surprised to hear that students are frustrated that they have limited access to the technology in their schools. I think back to my teaching days and ponder how much better I could have approached integrating technology into the classroom. After all, what is the point of computers in the classroom if they are not maximized?
The Tech School Model (http://www.newtechnetwork.org/newtech_model) provides an innovative approach to bringing students into a project based learning environment, maximizing technology use, and utilizes teachers as project coaches which definitely appears more in line with educational reform than many other models. However, in the program description, I was disheartened that students are predominantly working in group/team mode and it does not appear that students are required to develop as much independent resourcefulness as I think they might benefit from. Again, I come back the idea of finding balance between all the models and modes of educating today’s youth.
In viewing a presentation by Julie Evans of Project Tomorrow, I was somewhat surprised to hear that the college freshman of 2014 will be the first true digital natives in higher education – we will be ready for them? It appears that some colleges are attempting to funnel money into technology to recruit students, using iPods, laptops, and other gadgets to lure students to their campuses. However, when students report that they are really only using their iPods to listen to music, not to listen to audio lectures, I have to ask myself how well thought out are these incentive programs? As one article noted, “Recent research shows that technology itself is not as important to improving student learning as how teachers use it,” (http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/13/27/1327.htm).
As institutions of higher education seek to solve the puzzle of technology in education, I question whether a “happy medium” is ever on the agenda for discussion. When I read “The University of Maryland last fall gave 400 incoming MBA students free BlackBerry portable e-mail devices so they could practice prioritizing e-mails in an always-connected mode,” (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-03-28-college-tech-usat_x.htm), I had to question whether the instructors also talk to students about when it’s “okay” to turn off their phone… Isn’t there a potential danger in being ‘always-connected’? I personally think there is a time to disconnect and take a break from the information-saturation we face in daily life.
Apparently, I am not alone in my sentiments, as one student commented, "’I feel teachers expect you to be attached to your e-mail, and if you don't check it one day you get behind," says UNC sophomore Harmony Davies. Adds sophomore Michael Warden: "It tends to take over my life a little bit,’" (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-03-28-college-tech-usat_x.htm)… And so I conclude, what is it that we want for students in the 21st Century? I venture a guess that we want students who are capable of competing in the job market, contributing to society, and at the same time able to find a healthy balance between the speed of technology and the pleasure of sitting and having a conversation without texting/instant-messaging/emailing at the same time.
Lauren, these thoughts are well put and clearly thought out. Regarding your last two paragraphs, I am thinking about the concept of students or people learning when it's okay to turn off their phone. This wasn't knowledge or life skills of the past, but now it is. And don't we teach students life skills?
ReplyDeleteI know with my personal life, Denise, I, and the kids are negotiating that all the time. When is it acceptable to be hanging out in front of the fire, yet respond to a text or email from the crackberry? When is it not? For us, we have found that there is a time for each and we have had to learn to communicate better about our hopes for the moment at hand.
Aren't we teachers learning this as well? With responsibility comes accountability. My dad talks about the days they used to drive out of town on dirt roads to park and drink and do Lord knows what. Then they drove back.
Now, parents can know where there child is and what they are doing. Teachers can communicate and raise the level of accountability and communication to increase the standard of timeliness.
Yet, when I canoe the Green River in Utah each summer for five days, I unplug (but still take digital pictures). I tell my professors and post my status that I am off the grid, and people understand.
The ah-ha moment I had was the time in college when I learned to self identify when I needed to be connected, and when I needed to unplug. That ah-ha moment was a paradigm shift in my life.