Last semester I went to a workshop on campus about the future of technology in schools and that's when it really hit me: I am not at all in the same technological generation as the students that I will be teaching. Even if I'm 26 and they're 16, a pretty negligible age difference 50 years ago, I will be so far behind their learning curve if I don't do stop being such a Luddite.
So what I need to learn are the tools to be able to stay in touch with the changing technologies around which my students' lives will revolve. But, as a Luddite, I also want to be reassured that it's alright for me to potentially go days, even a few weeks (!), without using computer technology in my classroom. The next generation of kids is likely going to grow up surrounded by screens, an endless flow of information, and in an increasingly disconnected world. I'd like to learn how to use technology (and not use technology) to build human connections and help my students live in an ever-changing world.
4 comments:
I can almost guarantee you won't go days without using technology in your classroom. You will need to check email, attendance, etc on a daily basis. Building connections is key. You don't need to keep up with everything but it will be important to design good lessons that support learning and be open to new things. Hopefully in the future the technology will be seamless but we aren't there yet.
I like your idea about using technology to "build human connections." It's great that you admit your uneasiness with some technology but at the same time recognize that it is necessary in today's world. You'll probably learn as much from your students as they will from you, which is probably a good way to keep them engaged.
Technology is great! Just being exposed to it are the baby steps that you need to take to get to know it and use it! Keep plugging! (Literally, because most technology product require electric! ha!)
It's great to see you again. The thing that you having going for you is how you see these technologies. I sat near you in that seminar. Your like the proverbial cartoon with the light bulb over your head. I could almost hear the gears turning while you were planning how you were going to use all of these ideas in your classroom.
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