Reflections (Phil)
Reflection #1
At the core of UDL is the premise that often the curriculum is disabled (and disabling!). It is not flexible; it often poses barriers, and consequently prevents rather than supports optimal learning experiences. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Why or why not?
Reflection #2
What are the benefits of analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on the student’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the challenges of this approach?
Reflection #3
How can using a variety of materials and methods reach more of the learners within your classroom? What are the benefits of doing so? What are the challenges?
Reflection #4
What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
Reflection #5
Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children’s future, is it really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?
Reflection #6
TBA
May 5th, 2012 at 11:28 am
Different learners need different ways to access information; students with hearing impairments need modified text or audio books, students with various reading skills need materials to be modified for better understanding, students with attention needs may benefit from videos or songs or skits. These varied methods and materials give all students an opportunity to learn according to his/her needs. It allows students to access the curriculum at their individual level. Engaging students in learning makes it more meaningful. Technology allows teachers to provide appropriate ways to accommodate different learning styles and personalities. This also presents challenges for teachers. Sometimes technology does not work, things break down and technical problems are inevitable. It is important to have a plan B for all students. Sometimes it may require the assistance of a paraprofessional or study buddy to make things successful. Computers are especially helpful for finding ways to modify information, change ways to present information or learning, and for students to present learning.
May 5th, 2012 at 11:28 am
(Reflection #3) Using a variety of materials and methods will reach more of my students because students come to school with a variety of backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. To expect all of my students to understand the main points of an article, for example, when my students have a wide range of reading levels, cultural backgrounds, and other background knowledge. How my students interact with the text will be limited if I only provide one printed copy. If I were to activate prior knowledge, provide tools to use with the text like graphic organizers, encourage the use of technology to assist students perhaps define or read a word, present a video or image of a concept related to the article, and allow students to chose from a variety of ways to present what they have learned, then I have reached a much wider variety of my students. The benefits of doing so would be that my students will be more engaged because they will have interacted not just with the text of the article, but a more direct connection to the concepts presented in the same article. Students will feel safer when they are able to use technologies and resources that accommodate for a disability, lower reading level, or preference. The concepts or objectives become more authentic to them when they are able to choose how they work with the text and present what they have learned. The challenges of using a variety of materials and methods are that it will take a lot of preparation time and effort to effectively implement the methods and materials. Students will need to be reliably autonomous when the teacher is working with or monitoring another group or individual student. They will need to become comfortable with the idea that others will be doing things differently. Additionally, the administration of the school will need to be supportive of a radically new method of instruction.
May 5th, 2012 at 11:29 am
By using a variety of materials and methods each day in the classroom you are ensuring that you reach every type of learner at one point or another during a lesson. Students have different triggers that will help motivate them to learn. In order to find out what those are you must present the information in ways that will hit each type of modality. If a teacher introduces a lesson in a way that is not relevant to the students they will not be engaged and therefore will not take the time or have the interest to learn the material given. The benefits are long lasting. Using multiple methods will help the students learn how to “become great learners” which will help them later in life. Their engagement level will be higher so it will provide for greater interaction and involvement in the classroom. Students also tend to remember material longer when it applies to their life directly in some way. Making a real world connection for them is key to having them “buy in” to what is being taught. Obviously it is not going to be easy to reach every learner in every lesson. It takes more time and effort on the teacher’s part to ensure that material is being demonstrated in multiple ways. Giving choices when it comes to authentic assessments also tend to be difficult because it is often time consuming to make many rubrics or one rubric that fits many different assessments.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Blog Reflection #4
There are several barriers in traditional assessments. Traditional assessments assess students in one way and assume that all learners have an equal opportunity to show what they learned. Standardized assessments have traditionally fit into a one-size fits all category and while they have validity, they do not efficiently measure how all students comprehend and can apply the content. Challenges lie in creating multiple assessments for a topic that still produce valid results. Cost, training, and the availability of technology to all students, all provide barriers to creating varied options for assessment. In addition, many teachers and administrators who have been teaching for many years, are not as open to embracing new technologies and forms of assessment.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Traditional assessments follow the “one-size fits all” model. If everyone learns in different ways, why are we insisting on assessing everyone the same way? It makes no sense. Another barrier that is inherent in traditional assessments is that adaptations to tests are made AFTER. We should really be thinking about adaptations before creating the assessment. There are many challenges in offering varied options for assessment. For example, how can you make all assessments fair when you are testing students in different ways? We need to make sure we are testing the same concepts, but in different ways. This poses the issue of time and resources again. Where are you going to find the time to do this? What if your school doesn’t have the resources? All in all, in order for our assessments to become valid, we must make sure they we are not only teaching students in different ways, but also assessing their knowledge in different ways.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
Traditional assessment gives 1 type of test with no options for differentiation. Students get a test and fill in the blank, pick the best choice, or match and then graded on what they can recall. We are not making the correct accommodations for the students that need the help. The challenges to varied assessments are looked down upon because people believe that all students should be tested with the same test to make sure everyone is on a level playing field regardless of disabilities. With varying the assessments, the students could succeed if maybe they were able to take the test on the computer or on an ipad and have the answers sent to the teacher because they learn with a hands on approach rather then the normal paper and pencil. If we teach with these different mediums and students can test on these mediums it might work a whole lot better then teaching with different mediums and giving a pencil test.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
A traditional assessment gives one type of test to a classroom or group of students regardless of their disability. It offers no opportunity for differentiation. These barriers prevent students from achieving and demonstrating what they have learned due to a one size fits all type of test. The thought behind this is that everyone gets the same test, and does the same thing so that the data is the same. If UDL is applied to this instruction and assessment, there are different ways to assess different types of students. While it is important to begin to tailor different types of assessments for different learners, it is a big challenge in bringing awareness to the fact that this change is necessary. It is important for parents, teachers, etc. to see examples of these varied types of assessments to help increase awareness and increase involvement in moving towards developing more varied assessment options.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Reflection 4: What barriers are inherent in traditional assessments? What are the challenges in offering varied options for assessment?
Traditional assessments do not meet the needs of all learners. They reflect the “one size fits all” way of thinking and this is not what UDL is! They do not reflect how the student thinks or how they go about learning.
It would be challenging for educators to plan a variety of assessment options for their students. It would take a lot of time and effort. Also, some parents may not be on board with this way of grading since each assessment may be weighed differently for different students.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
(Reflection 4) The barriers in traditional assessment are that most are large-scale and “one size fits all.” In a traditional assessment, everyone is presented with the same material and then they have to interact with the material and respond to it in the same way. This allows the data from the assessment to be interpreted in the same way for everyone who is tested and then the results can be compared from person to person. The problem with this is that it assumes that each person taking the assessment has the same ability to see, hear, and concentrate, etc. Some students are not able to demonstrate that they know the material using a traditional assessment. For example, a student might know the material of a science unit but does poorly on the assessment because of a low reading ability. The assumption after analyzing their assessment is that the student does not know the science information, when in reality it is the reading that they do not know. A different type of assessment would allow this student to share their knowledge about the science concepts in a different way that is not inhibited by their reading ability. The challenges in creating these varied assessment options are that it takes a lot more time and resources to create them. Then there is also the problem of making sure that all of the assessments are equitable to each other, and that each one is measuring the content knowledge to the same extent that the others are.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
The barriers in traditional assessment are obvious. Today children learn in so many different ways but all are given the same state standards and benchmarks. The assessments are not compatible with the ways in which they have been taught. Same assessment forces the educator to make assumptions about students’ abilities which leads to invalid inferences.
There are also benefits in offering varied options for assessment and challenges. A large scale assessment allows kids to be more design learners. They can design their own graphics or form of representation that fits they way they were taught. Although this is costly and requires more thought. Also the implementation process is more involved and time consuming.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
There are several barriers in traditional assessment, one being the overall thought that “one size fits all” approach to testing. These traditional tests hold “tight constraints” around those margin students who need other means to perform at their highest potential. Often times when a traditional test is made as a one size fits all, after the fact, accommodations come in for those students with disabilities, which often times excludes them from the overall assessment. Another barrier with these assessments is the assumptions that educators make about their students. It doesn’t depict a clear picture of who they are as learners.
There are also several challenges in offering a varied assessment approach. A large challenge is finding ways to test students who are different, use different stimuli, and then respond differently. There is a huge range for educators to “grade” this way of assessing. There needs to be accountability and equality across the board. The last two challenges are more thought and more money needs to go into these varied assessments. It also clears out the idea of “validity” and gives people a different way of thinking.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Using a variety of materials and methods within your classroom is crucial in meeting the needs of ALL learners within your classroom. The variety of materials/ methods that is out there for you to use and incorporate within your lessons is astonishing. These materials not only help our students today living in the 21st century, but it also opens a whole new world of education. Between presentations, hands-on activities, videos, skits, tools, and variety of search engines, these materials can change the way our students learn and how we teach.
Throughout the class I have seen methods and materials that have opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning. I can picture every one of my twenty three students engaging in learning in all different ways. The frustrating part to this is “the use of technology” and resources that we have within our building. With my home computer I can access anything…things that I find and really want to use within my classroom, but instead of having it at your fingertips at work it is like jumping through hoops to get the “okay” to utilize these tools within your classroom. For example, this week I incorporated a class wiki page on my school website. The students received a detailed outline of how we are going to use the wiki page and the do and don’ts while using it. I thought this would be great but of course I was questioned by an administrator if this followed “district guidelines and privacy rules”. For now our wiki has been placed on hold until I can get the go ahead to continue.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Reflection #4
The barriers inherent in traditional assessments are:
• A couple of questions answered over a couple of hours can give you an adequate understanding of what people know and what people can do persists in large-scale assessment
• They do not tell you everything that is important to know
• You cannot gain targeted or useful information from students in local context; they may work against the local assessments
• The traditional educational measurements and assessments do not help us to address this issue of finding ways to work with students who react/respond differently to stimuli.
• “everybody gets the same test and does the same thing so that we have the same data”
The challenges in offering varied options for assessments are:
• To have trails of evidence, and history of it, and brings some credibility to the assessments
• Accountability – finding ways to make assessment accountable when different students might be interacting with different stimuli and responding in different ways
• To make congruency between instruction and assessment
• To develop more tailored assessment situations for different individuals that still make sense using the same frame of interpretation across individuals
• The application of UDL to assessment has the potential to either increase or decrease construct validity
May 5th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
reflection 4:
Traditional assessments subscribe to the “one size fits all” mentality which only holds true for some students, it leaves much to be desired. This standard methodology has been facing serious controversy with No Child Left Behind and the increase for inclusion for all. Although large scale standardized test provide a snippet of evidence of learning, it leaves many students out of the equation for assessment. Alternative assessments are not quite accepted in education as yet. People fear change and different ways of assessing various students. They believe different is unfair and somehow invalid. Ideally teachers would have some flexibility in making assessments more interactive and compatible to new methods of teaching. However, clearly defining the specific knowledge, skills, or abilities we want our students to develop is challenging. This is also a big challenge policy makers because it takes more thought, more money, test development, administration and review.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
In traditional, state-wide assessments the “one-size-fits-all” process is still being used. With a variety of learners in each classroom and the countless ways to assess students’ knowledge, it always comes back to “the test.” Teachers are constantly preparing students for state testing that is “one-size-fits-all.” This type of assessment does not truly assess all learners – there are barriers. Students may try to take a standardized state test, but face a barrier on that test. Therefore, we may never know what knowledge that student truly has gained. As a classroom teacher I can offer a variety of assessments, but I must always come back to the format of the state test. While state assessments are “held over our heads,” I must assess in that format. Otherwise, I feel that the students would not be prepared to face it – not that they do not have the knowledge but they need to be familiar with the format. Government and policy-makers are the biggest barrier in assessment.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Reflection #4
Megan Hoagland
There are many barriers that are inherent in traditional assessments. For example, one barrier is that fact that the tests are “one size fits all.” Students have varied learning styles, and unfortunately, they are often forced to take a test and demonstrate their knowledge or skills of a particular topic in a way that does not match their learning style. Another barrier is that traditional assessments often limit students in the ways that they are able to show or demonstrate their knowledge. Students can be asked to answer questions in a limited amount of time, and this does not allow them to fully show what they have learned.
There are numerous challenges in offering varied options for assessment. One challenge would be for the teacher, and trying to create these varied options. Another challenge that could present itself is the fact that parents may not understand and therefore may not support this way assessing. They may view it as “unfair”, and this could present many problems. Along with these challenges, another challenge could be trying to create assessments that are equal, but different at the same time.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
When considering traditional assessments we have to consider that so much is changing in the instruction portion of the classroom – wouldn’t it make sense to continue that progression through to the way in which a student shows mastery of a subject? Just because we have been doing it for so many years, doesn’t mean it is the way we should continue. Traditional assessments do not meet the needs of all of the students, which lead to invalid results. It also leaves room for error because sometimes what the student struggles with on a test is not necessarily the thing that should be getting assessed. For example if the child is having trouble reading the question they are obviously not going to be able to answer the question correctly, no matter what the material. By offering varied options for assessment it makes it easier for students to demonstrate what they have learned. There are challenges to this too though. Getting policy makers on board with the change is perhaps one of the more difficult hurdles. Initially, it also takes more time and money to change the way we have been handling assessments up until now. It is imperative that during creation of these alternate assessments we are relating them directly to the learning goals. We also must take into consideration all students’ needs from the beginning development, rather than trying to alter and add to already existing assessments. This will help to make options such as these more successful for all involved.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Reflection 4
An inherent barrier to a traditional assessment, is the notion that the best way to assess student knowledge is through knowledge based assessments opposed to skill based assessments. Traditional assessments are not authentic and therefore do not always apply to the real world. Also, policy makers have continued to buy into the one size fits all model and through their mandates have perpetuated this problem. Policy makers view traditional assessments as the way they hold school districts and teachers accountable for providing appropriate instruction, therefore, they continue to implement these assessments on a large scale. Varied assessments are a better way to assess student knowledge, however, there are several challenges to this approach. To develop appropriate assessments, new tests need to be created and researched for validity. The cost of creating and administering UDL based assessments is a barrier to the implementation of these assessments. Furthermore, the mind set of one size fits all will need to change for UDL assessments to be implemented on a large scale. With time, hopefully new assessments will become based off of the model community colleges and the military are creating.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Reflection #4 There are many barriers to traditional assessments. I believe the PSSA test administered in schools today is much too difficult for many of the students I teach. The problem with traditional assessments is that every child is tested the exact same way regardless of their ability or disability. The same materials are used as well as the same questions. The problem with this approach is assumptions can be made about the student’s ability. The challenge for having new assessments in the future is money. Procedures for creating and administering the test are is more involved.
May 5th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
(Reflection #4) The barriers present in traditional assessments stem from the idea that a standardized, large-scale assessment is designed with the philosophy that a “one size fits all” assessment provides accurate data due to the fact that everyone had to take the same assessment. The focus of the assessment is on generating measurable data. Teachers inherently differ in their instruction of the same topic. Similar, but different materials, language and tasks are used to instruct students, who are divers individuals as well. When an assessment does not take this into account, it presents a barrier to students who may have learned to perform the same tasks in slightly different ways. This is compounded even more so for students with disabilities. As a result, the data the test generated is inaccurate or invalid. However, it is challenging to offer varied assessment options. When designing an assessment, usually teachers, students and parents are concerned with fairness. Different students taking different assessments seems inherently unfair, and as a result policymakers, and the communities they serve, are often reluctant to deviate from the traditional model. Even funding the development of varied assessments would be difficult to raise, in comparison to the streamlined and efficient models that currently exist.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
I don’t believe that integrating technology should be a choice. It should be mandatory. We live in a world that is ever changing, and with technologies that are very prevalent in students’ lives. Why should we be fighting the change? We need to work together as teachers to find ways to make it happen in our classrooms. After all, we must teach our students to “roll with the punches”, keep up with changing technology, and learn how to adapt to new things to help better prepare them for their futures. How can we do these things without using technology?
However, this could pose a problem. What do we do about the lack of resources in many school districts and even in some students’ home lives? As a society, we need to find a way to make these resources available to all students. This would make integrating technology more successful.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
#5. I believe as the times change, we as educators need to change with them. As we have learned throughout this course to is imperative for our digital natives to use some sort of technology to let them show you what they know. They grow up on these different things and it isn’t right for us to allow them not to use them to their benefit in learning. It would be like taking the books away from digital immigrants and telling them they have to learn through something not so new to them. It isn’t about being able to memorize and recite, its about knowing how to find the information. If we allow our students to show us what they know more children will be successful. By using the different forms of technology the more students we are reaching.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
It is essential for teachers to incorporate modern technologies into their instruction in order to engage students. However, Digital Immigrants will need proper training and time to practice how to use this new technology. This can be done through teacher in-service, faculty meetings, technology workshops, even students can help teachers learn how to use technology more effectively. We are teaching students to prepare for the future without knowing what the future holds, we must give them the tools and knowledge necessary for the digital age and for jobs yet to be created.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Reflection #5
All teachers should be required to integrate modern technologies into their teaching. Technology is the way of the future and it should not be a choice for educators. In order to reach all learners, teachers need to be current on the latest technology, not only for how they can present content, but also for how students can submit work. It does students, who we need to educate for the future, a disservice if they are not provided with the universal design for learning. This will leave the curriculum “disabled” and not effectively reach all students.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
I believe that teachers should be required to incorporate modern technology into their instruction. However, I believe it’s important for teachers to receive training and/or in-service on how to use and incorporate some of the many different types of technology available. Often times new technology is made available in schools and teachers are given no training on how to use it. This can be frustrating and cause teachers to continue doing what they are doing without incorporating it into their teaching. When given time to collaborate with colleagues and learn about the wide variety of technology available, they feel more comfortable implementing it into their daily teaching. While it’s difficult to keep up with the constant changes in technology, it’s important to incorporate it into our classroom in order to keep students engaged and eager to learn.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
At some point, incorporating modern technology into instruction will be a necessity in order to reach students and give them the skills that they need to succeed in today’s world. Choosing not to incorporate these technologies into instruction will be a disservice to today’s young people, as they will not be prepared to function in the modern job market. As the technology becomes more prevalent in every day society, teachers and students alike will need to be familiar with it in order to be a contributing member of the 21st century society.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Reflection #5
Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children’s future, is it really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?
No, I do not think it is okay to allow teachers to CHOOSE whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into instruction. Our building is a K Center so we are a close-knit group teaching at the same level. I believe we should all be on the same page and be aware of the different technology that we can be using every day in our classroom. Should the teachers be teaching the same exact lessons in each classroom…absolutely not. However, we all should be trained and should collaborate together to learn how to reach the digital learners. If we all expand our teaching strategies, we will be benefiting the students by having many interactive activities at our fingertips.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Reflection 5 – I think it is necessary to incorporate modern technology into the classroom and in instructions. In order to help digital native students learn, the old ways without modern technology is not good enough. The digital native students have different needs and as a teacher I need to be able to accommodate each students’ needs so that he/she can achieve his/her potential as a student, and eventually become a productive adult in our society who can adjust, grow, adapt, innovate, multi-task in the digital world that is ever changing.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
I believe that because of the age that we live in it is imperative to use technology when instructing students. I do believe that teachers should have to do a moderate amount of integration to help students prepare for their futures. With that being said there is a learning curve that administration has to take into consideration when making this demand on teachers. If this is the curriculum shift that we are looking for in order help our students be successful it is only fair that teachers have the time and resources to become comfortable with the change. I feel that there has to be adequate training involved and that it cannot be an “add-on” to what we are already doing. Other responsibilities of teachers will have to be decreased to make room for the amount of time and effort that will be involved in this process, especially in the beginning. All in all I truly feel that embracing new technology and alternate methods of instruction are extremely valuable in this day and age. Giving students more exploration time and letting them take responsibility for their learning is a great way to build a classroom full of “expert learners.”
May 6th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Megan Hoagland
Reflection #5
I am on the fence with whether or not it is okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction. I do feel that there are many other varied means to teach and instruct student other than with the use of modern technology. Also, many teachers and students are not privileged to have access to these modern technologies. On the other hand, I do feel that teachers need to be teaching their students in the way that they learn best, and for some students that is through the use of modern technologies. I really believe that it comes down to knowing your students and knowing what will work best for them, and in a lot of cases, it will be through the use of technology. I also believe that modern technologies will become more and more used in instruction and it will be harder for teachers to avoid using them. I believe that teachers should embrace any tools that can help their students learn and be successful, and in the world we live in, many of those tools are and will continue to be modern technology tools.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I do not think teachers should be able to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction. I believe they should be required to use technology within a given time frame. I have to use technology 45 minutes every week where I teach. I can use and incorporate it as I choose. I think teachers need more training perhaps on inservice days. With the net generation of learners we need to use technology to reach the full capacity of the different learners.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I don’t think it is okay to allow teachers to have the say on whether or not they incorporate modern technology into their instruction. I think this comes down to the philosophy of a district and the things that parents want to see their children engaging with. In every work place there is a set of rules and obligations that have to be followed. I believe it is important that the world of education follows rules and obligations as well, one being meeting the needs of all learners. Districts need to give teachers the opportunity to try these new ways of technology and incorporate them into a curriculum. I believe educators need to also listen to student needs and give the kids options on what is going to help them to succeed. The one negative with this “argument” is that not all teachers are on board with a new means of teaching (incorporating technology). They become set in the “old” ways of teaching and say they can’t be tied down with trying to learn yet another new technology device. If we aren’t willing to learn this new way of thinking and educating then why should students have to sit through the old way?
The last problem with districts incorporating technology into their schools and having teachers use them is that for many schools the funding just isn’t there. Hopefully we can find new ways to help all students achieve and help them in way that meets the needs of the net generation.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Reflection 5
Our lives are going to continue to incorporate technology and therefore, the need for students to utilize technology is going to continue to exist. I feel school districts will ultimately need to decide how much of an emphasis they would like to see their schools place on technology. This class has presented a strong argument for the use of technology in the classroom and for many students the use of technology would benefit their learning. However, teacher face many curricular, financial, and classroom management issues when using technology. I feel ever teacher should use technology in their instruction but for Digital Immigrants this is challenging. If a school buys into the idea of using technology and then provides all staff with proper training, and funding, then over time the use of technology for all teachers could reasonably be mandated. Teachers who are not comfortable with the use of technology should pursue training to better their instructional practice.
May 6th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
The students that are currently sitting in my classroom today and the students that will sit in my classroom for the next twenty years will face a world unknown to all of us. Teachers must prepare students for professions that have not yet been designed. Teachers must prepare students to face an ever-changing world. Technology is a huge part of that. There are big and small ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Teachers do have some control over the technology that is used in the classroom daily. Unfortunately, there are many other factors that have a stronger control – administrators, tax-payers, parents, universities, government. I think well-educated teachers know and understand the importance of technology in the lives of their students, and these teachers do what they can to implement it in classroom teaching. The question is not “is it okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction” but it is “when are those dictating education going to focus on the education of digital natives.”
May 6th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
The educational model currently in use by most schools was designed in the 19th Century and perfected in the 20th Century. It would be naïve to think that the skills we needed to compete in the economy of the industrial age are still the only set of skills we need in the digital age. While there may be skills and values that are timeless and universal, the traditional “broadcast,” or lecture, style of education has become outdated and obsolete in the 21st Century. It simply does not effectively prepare students to compete in our future job market. In fact, many would argue that is has been outdated for decades now. I think it is professionally irresponsible to ignore the shift in the way our students absorb, process and apply information. They are fluent in a language that many teachers do not, or even refuse to, speak. While I believe that each teachers’ classroom is their “kingdom,” we need to acknowledge that a classroom without technology is as foreign a place to digital natives as a feudal castle may be to digital immigrants. The duty of educators is to prepare students to live in the world of the future. The future has arrived, will we?
May 6th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Reflection #5
Given the realities of our modern age I believe it is important to incorporate modern technologies into instruction. If the school building the teacher is employed at has computers they should absolutly be utilized for an added resource to gather information. At the school I am employed at computers are only in the computer lab. Students are not allowed to bring electronics to school and staff constantly take cell phones from students and return them at the end of the school day. Instead of confiscating the phones these phones can be put to use to enhance their education.