I thought I would include the chart above in my discussion here. Look at how all schools, low and high income, have adapted so far to technology. Perhaps slow, but at least we have this domiant number of schools connected to the internet.
If we can get this many schools to connect to the internet, then maybe we can begin to incorporate other digital resources as well. We, as fresh, young, incoming teachers, need to bring in ideas to pitch to our schools. What technology resources will we ask for when we write grants? What will we be looking to bring to our school?
This article states that "For many educators, 21st-century digital literacy must hinge not on the superficial fluency with technology that many students exhibit in their off hours, but on proficiency in such skills as effectively sifting through a glut of electronic information and producing creative work that will be valued highly in the global marketplace."
Friedman's eyes would light up if he read those last few words in that sentence. Students will need to be competing globally by the time they reach adulthood, so we need to shift students attention from dull worksheets to internet resources.
On a different link from the same website, the author uses an example of a high-tech teenager who is bored with the lack of technology in his classroom. He feels bogged down by his inability to use the skills he normally uses throughout his day.
The student says, “When I step out of school, I have a pretty high-tech life. When I step in school, I feel like I’m not me anymore. I have to jump into this whole old-fashioned thing where everything is restricted.”
This should not be happening.
This exact instance reminds me of the presentation I saw from the ELA conference in Corey Union held by Shade Gomez. Clearly, his program where students used digital sources to convey deeper readings of Shakespeare's Hamlet demonstrates how students will go above and beyond our expectations of what they can produce. If we give them assignments that are up to their speed (in regards to technology), they will meet us there, or go beyond. Students will not feel restricted, like the student above, if we provide projects where students can explore their intelligence through the latest technologies.
That interests students; that's where we need to be.
2 comments:
Hooray Jami, thank you for sharing the chart which is dramatic proof of the rapidity of these changes in a very short time.
Hey Jami-
Where'd the chart come from?
Anyway, yeah, I totally agree that we have to meet students where they're at... in fact, that's a good "life rule" to live by in any aquaintances and relationships that a person may have.
It's definately time that we let STUDENTS tell US what kind of projects they want to do. That way, the students can set their own expectations, and if they perform to less than their abilities, students are only letting themselves down.
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