Education Technology
Reflection
In this article, Nancye Blair, a
principal in a school in Florida, illustrates how important the use of
technology is and how teachers need to stay updated to accommodate to these 21st
century learners. She explains that
these 21st century learners are no longer satisfied with simply
watching videos or playing games on the Internet. She says that these learners are “highly
relational and demand quick access to new knowledge… With the world literally
at their fingertips, today’s students need teachers and administrators to
re-envision the role of technology in the classroom.”
The article goes on to explain certain aspects
that could be changed to meet the needs of the students. One aspect is the shift in roles from the
teacher being the focal point, who created the multimedia presentations, to the
student being the focal point and creating the learning activities. The student
can actively participate in the lesson and show their knowledge through the
multimedia presentation. Another aspect
is the change of activities. Activities
should be focused on allowing the students to physically manipulate and
discover the content and those that encourage the student to be creative. When these activities are implemented, the
students become more engaged and can display their own knowledge of the
material. For example, kindergartners
create image-based movies on recycling and insects, fourth graders prepare
writing assessments by developing digital storybooks (www.storybird.com, or www.storyjumper.com) , or having students
create PowerPoint presentations to share with the class. The options are endless, and teachers need to
be thinking at all times for opportunities to add technology into their lessons
and assessment. The other aspects
mentioned include making sure that the students have access to an authentic
audience and are given access to technology as much as possible.
I agree with this article because I
have personally seen the positive effects of technology in the classroom. In my experience, technology makes the
content come alive and allows for meaningful learning experiences to
occur. Using technology allows these 21st
century learners to perform to their highest ability because that is the way
that they think. I completely agree that
teachers need to update their knowledge and skills to accommodate to these new
learners. Times have changed and these
new learners require more.
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