My learner is unique, creative, intelligent and special. I learned from Erica Goldson and her incredible YouTube sensation speech that they are dreamers who like to explore and invent new concepts. They think of bright ideas and strive to be different. I have to remember that my students have changed since I was in grade school and that each one is not the same. They strive for “creativity rather than futile activity and for potential versus memorization.” (Goldson, 2010) They are constantly changing and learning through so many different forms of technology.
They are about expression, multitasking, and the next best thing. As Katherinne Savitt states, technology is not something they think about except for the updates and new products. She believes in their AADD in relation to the number of engaging materials that are placed in front of the students. I believe that my students’ behaviors the last few years do reflect this description, at least on some level. The students want an answer, they want the correct one, and they want it as quickly as possible.
My students “lives in a wold of instant gratification. Speed Demons thrive on acceleration and next, next, next.” (Lyon, 2010) They are so used to getting things quickly. When they want to know how to fix their bike they simply Google it or look it up on YouTube. Within a minute they have written instructions or a how-to video at their disposal. This however brings up another point entirely. Are we as a society becoming too reliant on Google? Is it making us less intelligent? My learners having instant and immediate access to answers causes me to think about the opinions stated by Jonah Lehrer. “If we know that a fact is only a Google away, then we’re not going to waste precious synaptic space on it. Better to let a server remember.” I believe this is such a true reflection of the thoughts of my students today. Personally, the decision has not been made in my head as to whether or not this is a concept that will be detrimental to the intelligence of my students in the future. I have to believe that students will then be able to spend more time doing something more beneficial than learning, memorizing, and storing the steps of how to fix their bike.
In the last three years on the north shore of the city my learners have come from homes with great wealth and opportunity. They are surrounded by iPads, iPods, flat screen tvs, and the latest updates. They are well aware of the tech world in regards to expensive equipment and tools that make their lives more entertaining and easier. It is a constant challenge to surprise or impress students who have practically everything.
Compared to how I learned, my students are very different. I can remember going to the library and searching through a giant piece of furniture for little cards to find a book. I can remember having a small computer in the back of the room (sometimes) in which you could insert a hard disk and save your Storybook Weaver file. Things are far different now as my students have Promethean and Smart boards in almost every classroom. They are able to come up to the “board,” now white instead of black, and move images around to demonstrate their learning. The craziest thing about the different between my learners and I is that I graduated high school less than ten years ago.
I do not believe that comfort with technology is necessarily the same as proficiency with technology. Comfortability with technology can lie in the sheer exposure students have had to different technology items. How often they use these items can create a feeling of confidence in use of newer technologies. I do however believe that students are not proficient just because they are comfortable. With the endless possibilities that come with different tech tools, I know that some students excel far more than others in their use of the tools. Some students learn and engage in challenging experiences while others stick to what they know.
The methods that work best with my learners are those that are engaging. They will provide the students with an opportunity to explore, reflect, and create during the learning process. Students are able to produce a product of what they have learned in ways that best suit their diverse needs. The assessments are reflective of their skill level and abilities no matter what the subject. The barriers that exist with my students in regards to these methods of learning specifically reflect the district in which I used to teach. The ideals and philosophy of a district will guide and sometimes restrain a teacher from doing what they believe is the best method. When a district believes that the old way is the best way then new styles of learning based on inquiry will not succeed. To overcome such barriers a change of school may be necessary.
Another barrier I have faced is one I described above. When my students have the very best, newest, and most wonderful items available on the market, how do I compete? Is it even possible for me to seem exciting and the material I am teaching to feel worthwhile to them compare to what they have at home? I have yet to understand how to best overcome that particular barrier. The best I have come up with so far is to completely revamp the curriculum I have been given to relate tot eh students. I was given a Promethean Board, so I was going to use it. I took every single lesson and problem in the text and translated it to an interactive and entertaining game, video, or image. This was a true success!
@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Tahoma"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
Resources:
benjioben. (n.d.) Most Intelligent Student. [Video]. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_TpkteNK9k
Brown, Dan. (February 22, 2010) An Open Letter to Educators. Retrieved August 9, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PGGeTOA4
Goldson, Erica. (August 5, 2010) Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling. [Video]. Retrieved August 9, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4tdMsg3ts
jstd4. (n.d.) Pay Attention. [Video]. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw
Lehrer, Jonah. (July, 15, 2011). Is Google Ruining Your Memory? The Frontal Cortex. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/07/is-google-ruining-your-memory/
Lyon, Ethan. (February 23, 2010). Examining Generation Z: Stats, Demographics, Segments, Predictions. Sparxoo. Retrieved from http://sparxoo.com/2010/02/23/examining-generation-z-stats-demographics-segments-predictions/
O’Reilly Media (n.d) Web 2.0 Summit 2010. Katherine Savitt "Gen Z: The Age of the Curator". [Video]. Retrieved August 9, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfqF1r7LBCA
No comments:
Post a Comment