Class+1+-+Jan+11th

Synthesis of class 1 - Jan 11th

Survey Results

So what was the outcome of the ICT surveys? Well, the results are in…and pretty scary. Here they are: ICT Score = Class average of 59.4/100 ICT Teacher Score = 44.2/100 Not surprisingly, everyone in the class said they multitask. Most (24/29) felt it was okay to listen to music while doing school work. Most (27/29) said they use some form of social networking.

Incidentally, I am one of the two respondents who do not use social networking. And while the class as a whole used more technology in their personal lives than in the classroom, I was the opposite. As a teacher, I have used laptops, PowerPoint, video streams, music and more. Yet while I’m very comfortable with technology, I remain one of the only people I know, who does not own a cell phone. More on that later…

Understanding Digital Kids: Teaching and learning in the new digital landscape

Summary of Reading - Today’s schools and teachers were not trained/equipped to handle today’s digital children - Issue with resistance to change, or That’s the way we’ve always done it (TTWWADI) - Children’s brains have adapted to the new digital era. - Children have digital as a first language while their teachers have it as a second language (digital immigrants) - Contrary to old belief, our brain is constantly reforming/reorganizing information. And we can re-grow neurons. - Brains designed primarily for visual content (but this was always true)

How digital learners differ 1. They prefer info to be given quickly; they are accustomed to processing information quickly 2. Many are accustomed to multi-tasking, however some may have problems focusing on a single task 3. They prefer the visual and acoustic mediums 4. They are accustomed to hyperlinking 5. They prefer collaboration over individual learning 6. Digital learners are just-in-time learners, wanting to acquire knowledge just before they need to apply it. 7. They prefer instant gratification and rewards 8. They prefer learning that is relevant and useful for the moment As a result, we teachers need to adapt to our changing environment to better serve our students. Is essence, we ourselves need to learn.

Reflection

I agree with the authors that more care should be taken to integrate technology into the classroom. After all, it’s a fairly easy way to engage students and it makes teaching more enjoyable also. Having said that, I feel it is equally important to ensure students can still read, right and focus in the more conventional ways. They may be wired differently, but this just means a greater challenge in teaching them more traditional styles; it shouldn’t suggest that we just give way completely to students’ immediate interests. In my opinion, students need as many skill sets as we can give them. This is a point I feel is not emphasized enough in the reading.

Resources Ian Jukes web site: the committed sardine [|http://www.committedsardine.com] The Ontario Curriculum guides: []