Monday, 24 August 2009 - 1:22 PM MDT

Name: "Frances"

Post your comments about watching our youtube videos about 21st centur teaching and learning.

Monday, 24 August 2009 - 8:00 PM MDT

Name: "Frances"

What is your vision as educators knowing how digita children learn?

Monday, 24 August 2009 - 8:45 PM MDT

Name: unm-farmington

Media literacies are also important to understanding linguistically diverse students for we are acculturating to digital learners in our schools. As digital immigrants we are acculturating to their ways, customs and beliefs. Our students already collaborate, analyze, evaluate, communicate by reading their world within the panoply of their technological contexts. As educators we are motivated to learn their technological language and teach to their strengths.Such best practices will revolutionize how students learn and we teach as they teach us how they learn. Culturally responsive teaching within this context requires being open, flexible thinkers who are willing to learn beside our students as we recoginze and validate their strengths. Teaching in this context takes on a new meaning in our professional sense. This brings us to interesting implications: perhaps schools need to be redefined; what does it means to learn; what kind of learning is meaningful and should be required of students. These are revolutionary times and teachers can play a pivotol role.

Friday, 28 August 2009 - 1:50 AM MDT

Name: "Britta"

My first thoughts regarding the videos were really centered around how we have this amazing technology now that allows us to communicate and learn in new ways all the time, and that students should be given as many opportunities to become proficient with the technology, and develop the skills they need to learn from it and to adapt and evolve as the technology does. I have found, though, that over the last few days I have been reflecting quite a bit on a conversation I had not long ago with a high school-age girl, who was telling me that her peers almost never spoke to each other on the phone at all, just texted, and that they would be much more likely to share personal feelings by text than to say them in person. It was my own observation that even when the teenagers were in the same room together, they would still be texting other friends who were not present more than they would interact directly with each other. This really has me thinking about interpersonal relationships and how they are changing as a result of the new technology with which each generation becomes familiar. I just thought it was interesting that the more impersonal the form of communication became, the more personal the content could be, as the texter would risk less by being able to censor and backspace and the interaction loses the whole dimension of tone of voice, facial expression and gestures. This isn't necessarily a good or a bad thing, just an observation, but it may be worth considering how, as teachers, we might encourage our students to maintain balance.

Saturday, 29 August 2009 - 6:43 PM MDT

Name: "Kelly "

What a fantastic observation. You bring up some interesting observations of how the youth of our nation is learning social skills, or what social skills they are not learning. You have some great thoughts that prompted me to think.

Saturday, 29 August 2009 - 7:02 PM MDT

Name: "Kelly"

     I really enjoy the video "Did you know..." I have seen it before and I like the impact it makes when you watch it. The facts are really amazing to see, to  understand exactly how technology has changed our lives. I know I have had one experience that has really stuck out for me with "digital natives", when my daughter was just 2 years old, she saw a pay phone for the first time and asked me, "Why does that phone have a tail?" Just that simple comment made me realize how much technology is used in our lives and more so- how quickly it has advanced. I was in Jr. High when the first cell phomes came out, and I remember how BIG they were, now they are so tiny and do so much more. It is important to remember the kids do not have those experiences of changing technology, they have always had it as part of their culture.   

     A  vision of K-12 students today had a very powerful message for me as well. We expect children to learn in the boring, drudging, structured way we were forced to learn. If we didn't enjoy it, why in the world are teachers still doing this!?! The message " ENGAGE ME!" is one that every student wants to convey to their teachers, we just have to think outside the box, allow them to own their work, have pride in what they do and enjoy the process, thats what will help our students become life long learners,and honestly, isn't that our ultimate goal? I'm not going to expect that my students will remember every fact I introduce to them in all the subjects I teach, but I do expect they will remember the activities we do and know how to find the answer again if they should have the desire.

     Going to ENLACE was a wonderful experience. I had no idea that orginization existed, and I am very glad they do. I know the people working their are changing lives and making a difference in our community. They are our everyday heroes... or at least they are mine.                                                                                     

 

Sunday, 30 August 2009 - 4:53 PM MDT

Name: "lynda"

Your observation was very interesting, that about teenagers in a room together texting to someone else instead of carrying on a conversation.  I don't reallly know if that is good or bad or indifferent.

Sunday, 30 August 2009 - 6:27 PM MDT

Name: "Dan"

I've seen the first of these videos more than once and although it is becoming dated in our rapidly changing world, I find it interesting with many thought provoking questions posed.  I also enjoyed the second video with the student's imploring their teachers to engage them.

Teaching so called twenty-first century skills is becoming more  important in today's world.  As the playing field has become somewhat leveled worldwide, economic competition has become more heated and the demands and expectations placed on our students have increased.  However, beyond these twenty-first century skills lays the foundation of any education...teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, along with science and history.  These still  MUST be our primary focus as educators.

I see access to the Internet, new technologies, and teaching of digital skills as new tools to improve student learning.  They are NOT the answer to all of our public education systems issues however.  Just as chalk and slate were replaced by ink and quill, then disposable pens and pencils, so too should this new technology be used to improve our students academic learning and to help engage them.  However, they are only one tool in our loaded tool belt and not THE miracle all-in-one-do-everything-tool-for-two-payments of  only $9.95.

Above all of the tools available to us as educators is our ability to inspire and motivate our students in activities that keep them interested, motivated to learn, and encourage them to explore their world in interesting and engaging ways.  We can only do that if we care, become creative, and put in the hard work and research in order to ensure that our students learn.

Sunday, 30 August 2009 - 8:05 PM MDT

Name: "Mary"

 Years ago when I first attended college, I started out as a Communications major. I remember taking a class where we were introduced to this wonderful technology that would revolutionize the world. In the lab we were taught how we could look up the weather anywhere in the world! By the next year 'the world wide web' was everywhere.

 

One of the professors I worked under as a TA would go on and on how technology was going to change the world and improve the opportunities of people in less developed countries. Classes taught here could be viewed all over the world. He also made a big point of how great true 'interactive' learning would be. I love the programs which give affordable laptops so children can hold a world in their hands.

 

I saw the Communications lab grow from a small room with analog editing, to three large rooms with audio digital editing, the Avid (video editing), and a large computer lab. These state of the art computers helped develop web pages and interactive teaching tools; they facilitated in design and research. The technology was growing so fast I'd get a new piece of equipment to learn to teach, just a month or two before classes started.

 

When I became an art major twelve years ago I held a very expensive digital camera that doesn't come close to what our semi-pro cameras can do now. I also remember having to store all my big files on zip drives and how we had to designate a new layer each time we did something in Photoshop.

 

So much changed in just a few years. Laser disks never took off but soon we had DVD's. And now we have i pod's and my beloved blackberry!

 

I remember when people complained how Sesame Street had spoiled kids for 'regular' classrooms. But really this video points out the world is changing and as educators we have to be able to communicate with the lingo and skills of the kid's time. I finally got on Facebook so I could know what was going on in my little brothers and sisters lives, only to find out my 'techno' savvy grandpa was already on Facebook. Texting has been a way for me to speak the language of my sister who's in college and it's also great to get a message across when you don't have time for a long phone call!

 

In the second video I really liked how they called the kids “digital natives.” What a great term! I love the way I can look up on You-Tube and on search engines to learn how to rip up and replace my bathroom floor (including fixing a broken flange). Before this summer I didn't even know toilets had flanges. I love the wealth of information at my fingertips.

 

One thing I do wish is there were more safeguards for our children. I want them to enjoy all this technology but not at the expense of their childhood.

 

Technology is only going to keep on growing and I think we can find what's valuable from the past and combine it with the great tools of today.

Friday, 11 September 2009 - 5:28 PM MDT

Name: "Anthony"

Watching the video made me realize that the world is ever changing, and the use of technology will continue to play a vital role in the life of todays students.  During the video, I wondered to myself if todays use of technology helps or hurts the students.  I came to a conclusion that its seems like it would help the students more today because of the many more resources it provides.

Friday, 11 September 2009 - 5:50 PM MDT

Name: "anthony"

My vision as future educator would be to take full advantage of the state of the art technology because it will probably play a vital role in the students future education.  I also see myself staying up to date with the technology so that I am able to relate to the students better and that will help me get my point across to them.