Equal Access to the Digital World!

Schools used to be a place where the students just listened to a lecture, read from textbook, completed assignments from worksheets, and had to solve 20-30 math problems for homework each night. It was a model that made all of the students adapt to their teacher's instruction and curriculum. If a student did not learn best in that format, they may have been commonly referred to as dumb, class clown, or a behavior problem and the teacher's expectation of learning for that student was set pretty low. This made the educational experience for these students a miserable.

The paradigm has shifted recently. Teachers now set high expectations and know that all students can achieve them regardless of disability or personal learning style. How has this been accomplished? By adapting the curriculum and their instruction to the individual, teachers meet the needs and demands of their students. Even though it is not the only means to accomplish this, technology has made a student centered teaching environment possible.

To illustrate this change, I think back to my own instruction, particularly my high school French class. Most of the work was very repetitious. Most of the lessons were centered on the textbook where I remember all of the pictures that depicted typical scenes from everyday life that labeled the items in the picture with the French words. It was very monotonous. The best days for me, were the days we got to watch a video, or cook a French dish, or read an actual French magazine. We were learning and using the same French words that we did in the book, so why did I like these days so much? The answer is simple: because I am a kinesthetic learner who learns best by doing. I was able to see a practical application what I was learning and utilize it immediately.  Technology has made access to a multitude of information and resources. French would be easier for me now as I could watch a French newscast, see what’s on sale in a French store, read a French blog, and many others. Technology not only lets students read about different cultures, but immerse themselves in it. 

This is just another example of the Universal Design model in practice where the curriculum adapts to the needs of the students. Of course this is not limited to just foreign languages, but all classes!

Educational Value of Social Media

Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and others have quickly become one of the most popular sites on the Internet for children. Most of the students in my classroom have an account on at least one those sites. But do these websites have a place in the classroom? Many people would say, no. Some may even forbid their students from even using them citing privacy and bullying concerns. But I argue yes they do have place in the class if they are structured and monitored. 

We now live in a world that is drastically different than it was 25 years ago. Today we use technology to instantly watch videos, read the news, find an answer to a problem, keep in touch and work with others, and many other ways. This does not only happen at home, but in the workplace too. The young people of today must know how to use technology not only for enjoyment, but how to use it to be productive too! We cannot ignore the “important role social media plays in helping discover and connect with people or follow conversations that one might never have come across in the physical world “ (Agerwal & Singh, 2012). The jobs of tomorrow will require people who can communicate and collaborate with others in ways we have yet to imagine. By teaching children to use social media in a responsible and acceptable way, we are giving them skills that will help them later in life.

I have created a Twitter account to use throughout the year. It is called “Mystery Organism” (@Creature Mystery). On this page, I will present a new mystery organism each week. I will then provide the students with several clues. The clues will hint at the organism’s habitat, diet, characteristics, and predators. The students will then have to piece the clues together and research to determine what the mystery organism is. By doing this, I am attempting to “improve scores by taking engagement beyond the classroom boundaries and encouraging students to explore the subjects in greater depth” (Agerwal & Singh, 2012). I am also encouraging the students to collaborate inside and outside the classroom to learn about these creatures and understand the relationship between what they depend on and what depends on them to survive.

Parents have many legitimate concerns about letting young students use social media sites, but we cannot ignore the role that these sites will play in their children’s personal and professional future. I encourage you to visit this website to learn some tips on how you can protect your children online.

Reference:

Agerwal, A. & Singh, I. (2012, May). Social media in education. Digital Learning, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/docview/1018538253?accountid=3783