Today’s students spend more than twice as much time playing video games as they do reading, and more than four times as much time watching TV. Because of this, so many parts of learning are completely different for today’s students than they are for today’s teachers. Technology is such an integral part of life for most students that traditional paper and pen based learning is a foreign concept. Students are not accustomed to waiting for anything, and many high school and college students type more often than they write. Handwriting is not a part of normal life anymore. Ten or fifteen years ago, it was considered a big deal to have a computer in your home; they were considered a luxury item, and students may use a computer in school two or three times a year. Today, it’s not uncommon for a home to have several computers. Schools have computers in many classrooms and several sets of laptops on carts and may use laptops in several classes multiple times each week.
Since students are so technology intense, it’s important for teachers to instruct students in a way that is complementary to this. Online laboratories are one way to do this. Online labs offer many benefits by limiting the constraints that would be on regular labs. Online labs are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Also, students state that they learn better and are more engaged when using online laboratories and other technology than when they are just reading or being told about material. Online tools can also be used as a complement to traditional educational strategies. They allow teachers and students to remain in contact easier and more often.
Because of the many differences in students of my generation and students today, teachers must understand and embrace technological enhancements that are available. Expecting today’s students to learn from pen and paper and VHS movies would be like expecting my generation to use an abacus to do algebra. It’s simply impractical. Besides that, it would just be ridiculous not to make use of the tools that are available.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Tonya:-)
We both agree. There is such a diffence in how we approach learning versus that of today's students.
I wonder what a classroom will look like in the next generation. I think we all feel the same. It is hard to fathom what classes we will be taking in the future for teachers.
Reading these articles definitely made me think about how we communicate today. Like you said in your article, it is almost impossible to expect students to learn with pen and paper anymore. But, as I reflected in Wanda's blog, due to the instant gratification our children of today have become accustomed to, will they learn the processes of hard work and "problem solving" in order accomplish goals we need for our future?
Post a Comment