mini assignment other reflections

1. K-12 video

After viewing this video, I think that many teachers miss out the opportunity to channel potential energy students possess for using technology. While many school systems may lack resources and funding to make it possible for a teacher to do as much as desired, the video begins by emphasizing the point of engaging students in a “collaborative, inquiry-based environment” and ends by advocating teachers to “engage” their students. This reminded me of the end of virtually every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the captain commanded “Engage” as a directive to shift from low to high speed for exploring and learning more about the universe. Similarly, the students in the video mention familiarity with the cyber-universe of websites, blogs, and social networking such as texting whereas many of their teachers do not use much technology as a teaching resource. In past decades, students may have struggled and been resistant to using computers but now many teenagers and even younger students possess more familiarity with computers than their parents and teachers. While some of their time may be spent on television and games, students may be more interested in topics when some familiar tools such as videos, websites, blogs, and messaging are utilized to supplement traditional instruction methods. Teachers often struggle to find ways to motivate students and when possible to use technology that may help attract attention rather than face resistance by having students always listen or take notes without additional resources. Once again, as Bob Dylan penned, “The Times they are a Changin” as in his 1964 release, which veteran teachers may have on vinyl but now may set as a ringtone or watch a YouTube video. As one student observed about email versus texting, it si not that teachers do not know technology but that a new type of technology is upon us and should be utilized when possible in the classroom.

3. How does this information inform your teaching? What are steps that you need to take to have your classroom an engaging learning environment?"

The research done by the MacArthur Foundation in its “five-year, $50 million digital media and learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life” reiterates the point that today’s students have familiarity with technology in everyday life. Teachers may benefit by using technology since it not only requires little instruction for many students but also may save time by allowing some tasks to be done more quickly in addition to involving students in group work and activities. By using technology, many students who might otherwise have at best moderate interest may have their creative sides show up in presentation and research stages. The study notes that students use technology both for extending friendships and to search for interests and information. This is very informative for teachers, who may use an existing friendship or camaraderie in a class to create collaborative group projects using technological tools which students already possess familiarity with. Channeling this knowledge and interest productively may keep students interested in the topics of study.
The study notes the concern mentioned by David Buckingham of a ‘digital divide’ between in-school and out-of-school technology usage. Incorporating digital learning such as using search engines to locate data or information for math, science, and history courses or poems and drawings for literature and art courses provide more than just a new ways to present a lesson. With changing technology in the everyday world, this also helps students prepare for everyday life needs, friendships, and job requirements in a new era. Having students create a blog or retrieve assignments helps build tools for their future. In addition, peer-based learning will take place regardless of a teacher’s desire for classroom usage as much of the study used over 10,000 profiles from Facebook and other media outlets. By using certain tools, it allows a teacher the chance to integrate tips on usage as well as safety, both from a personal and computer security standpoint.

4. The site futureofed.org predicts what learning will be like in 2020. React to what you learn and then describe the role of a licensed teacher such as yourself

The future of education is rapidly changing and this site mentions many facets to consider. One suggested action is to explore diverse learning agent roles. Students may be presented information now through online videos or blogs or be instructed to gather information from websites, blogs, or via search engines. Similarly, teachers will be using more and more technology and may need to develop new skills to ‘catch up’ to teenagers already familiar with such resources as YouTube and blogging. The ever-growing number of online courses and new ways of teaching also calls for what the site refers to as finding ‘new forms of assessment and alternative credentialing’ as teachers may begin making more usage of portfolios and journals or blogs and perhaps become familiar with online teaching for a resource or perhaps even a career in distance education. With knowledge growth in areas such as open source assessments and using games as practice, teachers will need to prepare and become familiar with tools they wish to utilize such as Typer Shark to teach typing skills in a fun way or CoolMath to help break down math concepts into simplified terms.
The growing global community of learning offers benefits and challenges. New learning agents such as counselors to determine learning styles and tools to help stimulate thinking will be widespread and the growing usage of blogs and other social networking allows group learning but also opens the door for more outlets from family members or others to ask questions and make suggestions or comments on public sites. The licensed teacher will need to be able to adapt to the new learning styles and tools as well as work with new personalities who pop up to assist students in their educational, career, personal, or medical well-being.
Some changes to adapt for the new era would include:

• Identifying learning resources in unexpected places: schools will have a wide array of information comparing performance, resources, poverty rates, etc and sifting through statistics will help identify needs for the school and individual students. Using online learning profile styles will also be a benefit
• Be flexible with new methods: standardized assessments gradually will be incorporating new metrics and many will either embrace new systems or resist changes. Cooperation and maintaining an open mind for new ideas is critical.
• Adapting to amplified organization: teachers will need to use and/or learn how to incorporate digital tools and social media into the classroom as a new generation of students and educators enter the classroom and workforce.
• Determine a platform for resilience: as students gain widespread peers as well as a support system in the form of counselors, tutorials, and outlets for ideas it is important for teachers to also have a plan to maintain a healthy mindset and body while dealing with so many new ways of presenting information as well as being contacted and updated on policy changes, new assessments, and everyday questions from students and parents. The classroom experience no longer opens and closes solely synchronous with the doors of the school.