Thursday, September 17, 2009
Digital "Natives" already exist in our schools today. As I am walking through the halls after school hours, I see 2nd and 3rd graders with cell phones out texting their friends. We have also in the last week had a breach in our internet filter. The students are smarter than the teachers and they know how to maneuver through the internet carefully. If not for another student explaining what happened, the teachers would have never known. As educators we have to be two steps ahead of our students. As an administrator, I believe it is my responsibility to prepare my teachers for these kids coming into our schools today. We must change our instructional strategies. The “old school” way will not work anymore. Teachers have to ready and willing to teach kids through methods that are not traditional. As an administrator, we must stay abreast of new technology coming out and it needs to be in our schools. Staff development on technology is also a must. There are teachers in the school I teach at, who are afraid of technology. We must allow teachers the time to become comfortable and encourage them to utilize tools that will benefit our students beyond belief. I am lucky enough to house a smartboard in my room, and the students love to work with it. I can teach through the smartboard and the students will understand the concept better because it is interactive. It’s a hands-on teaching method that allows the students to get out of their seats and get excited about school and learning. My students beg me every day to play a math game with them utilizing the smartboard. I can use it as a reward, and they are still learning! Luckily, I believe I am a Digital Native. However, I am fortunate in the fact that I have younger relatives to teach me what the new things are.
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Allison,
ReplyDeleteI feel your idea of keeping your staff up to date on their training is perfect. Many of these "natives" are smarter than we educators in regards to technology because they are learning new technology everyday in school and from their tech savvy friends. We know adults learn diffently than younger individuals and at a young age when experience is not a factor they do process information quicker. I feel the same as you about having some youth around. Mine comes in the form of my son and his friends and this helps to keep me in the "native" group .
Allison,
ReplyDeleteWill the fact that these students are in our rooms today cause us to test differently than the current paper and pencil format?
Testing will have to change in order to produce 21st century students. There are already methods of testing students differently, however as teachers we are not ready to embrace these changes because we are not ready for the technological changes. Teachers do not like to feel unprepared, and we are unprepared for the technological advances. Teachers need more professinal development in technology.
ReplyDeleteI really believe that we should be using video games in the classroom. There is a ton of opportunity in this field if someone or some company will take the initiative. Games are what the kids want to do.Not only at the elementary level but at the middle and high school levels also. I just wish I was smart enough to create these games. Take females in gym class for example. They don't want to play basketball or flag football. Buy a couple wii game systems that let them play tennis or bowling on it.
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