If you are a teacher that doesn’t think that integrating technology into our classrooms is necessary, you need to watch the YouTube Video Joe’s Non-Netbook. Although the video is [I hope] for fun, it makes it very clear that times have changed dramatically since many of us were in elementary, middle, or high school. Some of today’s students are using a computer or playing a video game from the time they get home from school until they go to bed and have been doing so since they were three or four years of age. It is conceivable that within the next 10 years textbooks in many schools in this nation will be replaced with eReaders or on-line textbooks. Even my parents (in their mid-60’s) have Nook’s and no longer are purchasing DTB’s (dead-tree books-my dad’s new lingo). If DTB’s are obsolete to my parents can you imagine the role that technology is playing in the lives of our students from pre-school on?? It is vital that schools and teachers get on the technology train and get comfortable because this age of technology is not going way. New technology is being introduced everyday and some of us are still wary about sending email! We can’t ignore the fact that our students are used to having information at the touch of a button and become bored very easily when being taught in a “traditional” way. Many educators are apprehensive when it comes to change and feel that the traditional ways of teaching have worked for decades so why should they have to change their teaching methods. The answer is simple – kids today are not the same as kids from decades ago and we should not expect them to learn the same. If we are to educate our students to be tomorrows movers and shakers, we have to first move and shake ourselves!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkhpmEZWuRQ to view Joe's Non-Netbook Video
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI love the lingo from your father {DTB's}! He may be on to something there! I do see school's in the future using online textbook's in the future. It would be a great way to connect with the current generation! However, that type of change-over is going to cost our school districts thousands upon thousands of dollars that at the current time they don't have! So for now we better take extra care of the DTB's we have and find supplementary ways to incorporate technology into a student's lesson. That way they are still getting some instruction on technology uses and will have access to information throughout the school day rather than the 30 or 40 minutes a week that they might be able to get into the computer labs.