EME 2040 Blog

Saturday, May 16th, 2015

http://bitstrips.com/r/PJ1S3

You may think that you’re completely ready to be a 21st century teacher because you can keep up with the latest hashtags or create an out-of-this-world PowerPoint presentation but before you’re standing in front of thirty tech-savvy teenagers, you should ask yourself a few questions.

What roles does technology play in the lives of students and teachers?

The fact that my three year-old niece can unlock a tablet, get into internet explorer, look for YouTube in the history and search the “Let it go” music video is a perfect example why this is called the “tablet generation.” When bringing up technology to a student they typically think of computers, cell phones, tablets, social media and texting. It is literally taking over people’s lives. I believe that it is very rare to meet someone thirteen or older who does not own a cellular device. As a teacher, keeping up with the latest technology is a necessity. You need to be able to understand the students and be able to reach/teach them in a manner that interest them and will benefit both the teacher, and the student. Even within the younger ages, students are constantly exposed the images, information and opinions whether they like it or not. Social media is becoming a thing that teens and adolescents rely on for everything. 95% of 12- to 17-year-olds are online and 80% of these adolescents use sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

What are 21st century skills and 21st century technologies?

I am a teenager and I do keep up with the latest apps and helpful websites that help me succeed in school but even throughout my first semester of college I’ve learned about so many tools that I definitely could have used in high school. The fact that I didn’t even know the half of it, tells me that my teachers didn’t have a clue either, if they did I know that they would have informed us about them. Twenty-first century skills are what students know and understand and will help them survive in this world, full of endless information and technology that is getting crazier and more relied on day by day. This includes things like problem solving, thinking outside of the box, critical thinking and being able to communicate effectively. Web 2.0 tools, which is considered a twenty-first century technology, is a whole new world for me and I cannot wait to learn and explore them. I am just now hearing about some of the tools that you mentioned to us. Some that
I found very helpful and way more interesting than a regular word document or PowerPoint, are Prezi, Kahoot and Bitstrips. I found that using these Web 2.0 tools helped me understand the material more because I was having so much fun doing it. It is always nice to step out of routine to keep your students interested. I honestly do not understand why I am just now learning these things in college, yes it’s helpful but in high school it could have made such a huge difference.

How can you begin to build your digital identity as a teacher?

Before becoming educated on digital identity as a teacher I thought it was just habits that you had or skills that you used that set you apart from other teachers. But in all actuality, your digital identity as a teacher refers to your technology talents and competencies-what you know how to do instructionally and professionally with computers and other new interactive technologies. After briefly taking the 21st century technology self-assessment I understood that I am actually highly knowledgeable. I am so ready to start and grow my digital identity as a teacher. When I am a teacher my students are never going to know what to expect and I know that the skills that they use in my classroom will not be limited to my four walls, they will be able to use them in every class that they take until they graduate and also beyond that.

I didn’t know how to properly learn and explore a computer until I was at least in eighth grade, other than A.R. (Accelerated Reading) tests. The only reason that I began using it is because my friends did for social media. I don’t even think that I used Microsoft until I reached high school because it wasn’t necessary like it is now. If you needed research, to the library you went, not to Google from your iPhone 6 Plus. Times are changing but I believe that it is for the better. The convenience of the internet is so amazing. It opens the doors to so many wonderful things. A.k.a. Summer classes. The fact that I could register for this class and get all the information that I needed, from a video of you talking to all of us instead of reading it off a handout or a word document, made it so much easier to start without questions. Technology in education opens so many doors and thinking about all that is to come makes me excited to be a teacher in the Twenty-first century.





Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.