In this digital age with a Zeitgeist shaped by rapidly moving information...how does this impact the 21st Century student? In other words what types of habits and learning patterns do we need to think about in 21st Century education? Finally...how can the UbD assist teachers in coping with the same type of forces shaping students. And yes...please feel free to launch any critical insights into these questions and what you witness from the clip.
Please view the following Frontline Special "Growing up Online" and then address the above questions on the blog.
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/
You need this link. It was omitted. Mark
This clip showed me that I should probably be taking computer lessons from my students. In all seriousness though, it just proved yet again that today's students have such a level of comfort with technology that it's gone from luxury to necessity. On one hand, that's wonderful news. There is a wealth of information out there for teachers and students alike that is just unparalleled.
In some ways it can make teachers' lives easier, because it is infinitely simpler to find information for lesson plans and such. However, the most intimidating part to me is how this impacts student relationships. Watching students' behavior during the school day for hints of issues interacting with certain other students is no longer enough. Students who never speak during the school day could have a vicious online feud going, and one never knows when that is going to finally carry over into the school environment.
We as teachers also need to be thinking about what these students are now used to. Before this class, for example, I wasn't entirely sure what a blog even was. Most of my students are probably going to be posting to several a day. The idea of incorporating what students are already doing into a classroom environment will help keep them interested.
We also need to keep in mind the decreasing attention span of students today. Students are not used to sitting and waiting, because they live in a world of instant gratification. That, in my opinion, is where UbD comes in. Deconstructing a lesson plan to figure out what needs to be gone over and how exactly it will be covered helps break it down to a user-friendly format. The bulleting style of UbD helps skim off the inessential parts of a lesson, which is the fluff that bores students to no end. They are used to having information thrown at them at ever-increasing speeds. Students just need to be taught how to dissect the information that they are given. Critical thinking is emphasized in the UbD, which will help students immeasurably in today's society.
That being said, the idea that some of my students will not remember a time B.G. (before Google) scares me. However, not as much has it apparently scares some parents. The kids probably know more about staying safe online than their parents do, but I guess some don't see it that way. It's just one more realm for parents to worry about because it's beyond their control.
I think our world of technology is a terrible thing to a certain degree. The reason I say this is because I feel like I rely way to much on a computer now to get things done. I have noticed that just in five years time the amount of time I spend in front of a computer screen or in front of a TV is just outrageous. Sometimes I have thought to myself, once I get done college and live on my own, I wonder if I could discipline myself to get rid of having cable tv and the internet? When I go home to visit my parents, I hardly ever..EVER see kids outside playing. The internet is making us live more of a secluded, less confrontational lifestyle. I used to have a friend in high school, his mom would always say to us that the internet is terrible for us because it allows kids to become socially backwards, which I feel is somewhat true.
I do understand the benefits of technology because it does make things easier for learning, educating, and communicating. The internet has allowed kids growing up now to dismiss the notion of privacy. I always like that commercial, I don't know how many people have actually seen it, but the one where the girl puts this picture up on this bulletin board up at school. And as she turns her back kids walk by the board taking copies of the picture to signify that once you post something on the internet, everyone has access to it basically. Cyber-bullying is something I had no idea was such a serious issue. The first thing I thought about was even if teachers can do a good job in the classroom protecting certain students from being the target of their peers, they still are under fire when they go home and are online.
I think the biggest type of learning pattern educators need to get used to is what Mark said the other night about how media can be a good thing to rely on in the classroom. I mean we don't want to focus 100% of our time on videos, powerpoints, and other computer programs, but we need to continue to learn the new technological teaching trends. Future schools might implement mandatory training seminars or other means of educating new technologies because I can see it as being very imperative for future learning.
I think Unit by Design will help us think long term about what we want to teach our students. We need to figure out the big picture first through stage 1, but after that it is free game to implement all sorts of ideas and media programs to enhance learning skills and gained knowledge.
I think that the growing use of technology is a great thing. Diseases have been cured and lives have been saved, all because we have the ability to create new technology so rapidly. Using technology in the classroom provides endless ways to teach students. However, we also have to be careful about what students are doing with technology outside of school. Cyber bullying was one example from the video. Sites such as MySpace can also be dangerous for students that put too much information out for others to see. This is evident with college students as well who have trouble finding jobs because employers look at Facebook accounts.
I am worried about how much my students will know about technology. Seeing my parents try to use a computer or even try to work the Comcast cable menu shows just how much more I know about technology than them. This means that the students I will be teaching will know even more than I do. I always think I am pretty up to date with technology but I am also always finding new things on the internet that make my life easier. I don't even use my brain to make a simple bibliography page anymore. The fact that my students will not know what it was like to live without computers and cell phones is actually very intimidating. As teachers I feel we have a certain responsibility to keep up with technology so we can show students what is acceptable and what is not (Wikipedia). We need to think about how students will be doing their homework. If I tell them to read a chapter and answer questions about it for homework, they could easily just Google the information and find the specific answer without reading, and without reading they won't understand the big picture, or the essential question, which is what teaching history is all about.
By using the UbD book, we can plan out lessons involving technology, but we can also control what technology they are using. If teachers stay current with technology, they will know what kids are using, and they will also know what sources are on the internet that will help them teach a lesson. Backwards construction of the lesson plan is a great example of this. We can figure out what we want the students to walk away with, and we have the ability to find webpages, articles, images, and other sources that will help them learn, and restrict them to only those resources.
If anything, this clip proves how plugged into the internet and other technology students are today. Even though I'm not that removed from high school, I feel like I'm already out of the loop based upon what the clip showed kids doing in their spare time. I have a facebook, but I don't spend huge amounts of time on it or any other site (except for doing homework because I'm a nerd). As a teacher, I will have to remember that my middle and high school experience is not the experience of many of the students I will be teaching. They will feel much more comfortable socializing online than I do, even though I am technically a technology native.
However, knowing this about my students means I can use it to my advantage while teaching. There are so many wonderful teaching tools and sources of great information on the internet. If I can plan lessons to take advantage of that, my lessons will probably be more relevant to my students and less painful for them to complete. Teachers must keep in mind that the types of assignments they give cannot be just factual questions because students will spend 5 minutes on the internet copying and pasting and not really learn anything. Teachers have to expect that students will use sites like sparknotes because they're available. Instead, teachers must formulate creative assignments that force students to analyze and interpret information.
I am a little apprehensive about incorporating technology correctly in my classroom because I'm not as technologically savvy as my students will be. I don't want to be the teacher who knows less about technology than her students and looks dumb in front of the class because I can't get the projector to work or don't know what the latest social networking site is. After watching this clip, I know that I will have to work hard to keep abreast of the new technology that comes out, so that I know how to incorporate it into my classroom. Hopefully, using the UbD format, I will be able to craft more creative, thought-provoking lessons for my students. UbD should help with this by focusing on enduring understandings, essential questions, and authentic assessment instead of traditional assessment.
Students today have grown up on the internet, and they are used to receiving and sending information very rapidly. It’s important to note from the video that many parents are having difficulty adjusting to this reality. In many cases, children know more about the internet and technology than parents do; it is imperative that teachers and parents work to close this technology gap. Students have a very short attention span, and teachers must use techniques to grab students’ attention and to keep their attention throughout the class. Teachers must embrace technology as a way for students to better understand and to relate to material. Teachers must also understand that students are going to use internet sites such as Sparknotes in order to complete their assignments. Teachers must find innovative ways to ensure that students have to think more critically or employ certain skills that make it more difficult for students to simply complete assignments by stealing information from the internet.
I think understanding by design is a vital way for us to create lessons in a manner which is acceptable and effective in the 21st century classroom. We must develop a plan which teaches our students how to embrace the internet and technology in a responsible and effective manner, but we also must teach our students how to use other resources such as print media, videos, speeches, poems, songs, etc. A teacher must effectively use their assessments, tasks, projects, and self-assessments in order to meet these goals.
I thought the video was an important resource for teachers because the video stresses that teachers cannot be stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to teaching techniques. Teachers must be willing to embrace new technology as a way to strengthen their lectures during classes. We need to find the best way to connect with our students, and oftentimes, technology is an effective way to get students engaged and involved in a lesson.
While we as teachers may want to be concerned with every aspect of this broadcast, I feel like there were three overwhelming topics that need to be examined in depth. The first of these topics is that of attention span. We must, in many ways, adapt our teaching style to cater to a classroom full of students who will be capable of listening for only short periods of time. Social studies is full of very engaging topics, however, students commonly complain that it is a boring subject. Our lesson plans and style must adapt to the next generation of students. By engaging students in meaningful learning and planning lessons centered on a final goal, UbD can help combat this issue to an extent. The level of creativity and energy involved is still very much up to the teacher.
The second topic covered in this broadcast that is of great importance is the idea that students are very much hashing out their arguments online now. Myspace has replaced the school yard and we must be aware and ready for any situations that may arise in the classroom. We have to find a way to make ourselves aware of these issues because as illustrated in the broadcast, by the two groups of girls, these issues may materialize in our classroom in a split second. There is no way that UbD can assist in this problem, this is solely based on teacher awareness and involvement.
The third topic is that of cheating. Students are using sources such as Sparknotes more and more frequently, but this is a battle easily won with UbD. If you are designing lessons around essential questions and creative performance tasks students will have to be able to explain and analyze topics in depth, Sparknotes cannot do this.
The Frontline documentary was very revealing because it demonstrated just how absorbed teenagers are in the internet. For better or worse, there is no changing of this reality and as teachers we need to understand and accept the internets influence. Students have a far shorter attention span with the advent of constant communication and entertainment. This will undoubtedly spill over into the classroom. In addition, conflicts that arise from the internet will be brought into the classroom without the teacher having prior knowledge of the problem.
Although these are serious negatives that are associated with the technology, teachers can turn the internet into a huge advantage. There are many interactive websites and tools online that can enhance learning. Many facts and figures that would have taken hours to locate and write down can now be found on Google and printed in a matter of minutes. This can be an advantage if we chose to alter our teaching style.
No matter how powerful Google is, a search engine can not replace critical thinking and display of knowledge need to understand an enduring understanding. This is why using the UBD format is powerful and fits into the technology age. By using this system, facts found online are no longer enough to get an A because the focus of the class is on reasoning and applying content knowledge. The internet is a great resource that students can use to gather the basic information about a subject, and it is our job as teachers to make them use that information to create their own conclusions.
This clip proved to me that I am a digital immigrant. It is scary to see how wired they are to technology and how it controls every aspect of their life. The point that bothered me the most was when the student admitted that he does not read any books and uses Sparknotes to complete his papers. As educators, we need to find ways to deter cheating on the internet. I definitely feel like I am one step behind my students. We need to come to terms with the fact that kids today learn differently in the 21st century. They are use to multi-tasking and need to be engaged in meaningful lessons. The day of lectures and notes are over for our youth. I think it is important to incorporate technology into meaningful lessons using UBD.
Another point on the clip that I found disturbing is the cyber-bullying. It is unbelievable that some students have two separate lives and keep them a secret from their families. How do we stay connected to our youth and keep communication open??? As a parent, this clip bothered me the most. It is imperative to look for changes in our students and keep communication open at all times.
I first saw this series in my technology education class this semester, quite fitting with the topic being about technology and its role with modern day students. As most of my peers, I find it difficult to decide whether the benefits that technology brings to modern students out weight the obvious problems that it has caused.
Throughout these series of clips it became increasingly clear that technology has become a permanent and continuously growing part of students lives. Fortunately, I have grown up in an era that allows me to be adaptable to the changing influences of technology. This will allow me to have a basic understanding of technology and its role in my students lives. It will no doubt continually change through out our careers as teachers, but hopefully having grown up in a time of such momentous change will have prepared us to change with it.
I believe that the planning structure that we have been planning in this class is perfectly suitable to these ever changing classes. The way our unit plans are structured enables us to easily change what, how, and why we do things in a class. The continuous addition of new technologies will only serve to enhance the learning experiences in our class if used properly. The unit plan structure allows for significant room to plan for the optimal use of the various teaching and learning methods that may result from modern technology.
I am a firm believer that a technologically enhanced youth is a Catch 22. Sure, students can communicate faster and more often... but does that create more conflict among teens and an increase in attention disorders? Sure, students can research and find information at the click of a mouse... but does that create a lazier, and less motivated youth that would rather stare at a computer screen than walk to a library? Do teens even walk anywhere?
However, for educators to ignore this transformation is almost as damaging. There needs to be some middle ground and compromises on both sides, and no I am not talking about parents spying on their teens' relationships online. Believe me, parents have more things to worry about than the occasional pedaphile. I am talking about educators blending new technologies in the classroom with basic teaching strategies that have been the foundation of education for the last fifty years.
This is something that UbD could assist teachers in developing lesson plans and projects. By creating goals and essential questions, teachers could use available technologies/online tools to help delivery the educationally rich lessons. However, teachers should not strictly depend on these tools and instead mandate the use of traditional learning tools like books and articles. Information found online is not always dependable or scholary, which is forgotten in a lazy teen's mind.
Also, there is the idea of using blogs and other online communication tools to connect students' ideas. Sure, this is convenient, but what is lost in the process? Speaking skills? In person contact? Proper use of the language rather than online jargon?
I have no issue with using available technologies in the classroom, especially since teens are already technically savy; however, the long term effects of online dependence may weaken the basic educational skills necessary for teens to develop in order to operate the in non-online world.
TTYL
Even back in my high school years, all three and some years ago, the students, myself included, knew more about computers than the teachers. Today, my own brother knows how to override school filters and the program in our computer labs which allows the teacher to view on her computer what he is doing on his. And the sad thing is that many of the teachers do not realize or are not willing to admit that the students know more than them.
In America today, it is rare to find a student that does not have at least some knowledge of computers. Most students today, starting in elementary school are carrying around cell phones, many of which are able to access the internet, or ipods or other electronic devices. When they get home, they are instantly on the computer, not doing homework like we might want them too, but surfing the internet, on myspace, Facebook or AIM. It seems that the days of going outside to play or seeing friends face to face are gone. Everything has to be in high def on a screen. People can not even play a game of cards unless the cards are on the screen. Now I admit, I like technology. My cell phone, while it can not connect to the internet, it does have an mp3 player in it. When I get home, I check my email and go to a couple sites to chat with friends. However, I am able to put that technology aside. I enjoy relaxing with a good book, playing a game of cards with my family or friends, going to the park to play volleyball or some other activity with my friends.
The internet in many ways has also limited our students growth in many ways. While the internet is great to find information quickly, our students have learned to take what they find at face value. Too many times in my last three years here at Millersville, I have heard people accept things because wikipedia or a professor says so. In many cases the students have no opinion. They are not able to critically analysize things and this is where I feel education is lacking.
Knowing this, I think UbD can help in this. If a lesson is constructed properly, it would be able to incorporate the fast paced lives of the students and satisfy their need for technology, while emphasizing the use of the good old fashioned brain.
(Posted this again, somehow i made two accounts trying to use the one with my full name. Think i have it figured out now) So how does this digital age of “rapidly moving information” affect the learning processes of the 21st century? While it may be easy to pass judgment positively or negatively concerning this area of interest I would argue that even experts with all their research can not quantify the true impact of technology upon us. There is considerable evidence that this surge of technology is degrading our minds as exemplified by Mr. Mann who explained “he relies way too much on a computer to get things done”. At the same time technology can be seen as a great thing as Harry discussed it giving us multiple uses for teaching in the classroom. Essentially technology, more specifically I would argue we are looking at computer technology, has the potential to be viewed as positive or negative.
While it is arguable whether the influence of computers is negative are positive, it is part of our reality so we as teachers must live with that reality and coincide with it using a Zeitgeist of Daoism. When I say that, I believe that we as teachers must not try to go against the flow of what new and accept this technology as a means of enhancing our experience. So we as teachers may find the path of incorporating all these new technologies into our classroom in a positive way so that our children will be able take advantage of the computer technology and learn how to use it properly.
Ubd is interesting, like with any sort of structure that is imposed upon and idea it gives teaching in the classroom a concrete plan with concrete ideas and methods to follow. It can help teachers stay on track with their lesson and really trace and break down their lessons so that they know what works and what they may have to change, similar to a blueprint for a building.
The frontline video seemed like it was trying to provoke a reaction of concern among its viewers. Let’s take a look at the cyber-bulling for example. Yes students do have new ways to provoke other children, although the horror stories that result from cyber-bulling delve deeper to psychological issues that the children have. Resorting to suicide is one of low self esteem taking away the computer will not always solve the issue of the students suffering throughout their adolescence. Teaching children how to love themselves and build their self-esteem and change that Zeitgeist of theirs may do much better for them. I would like to add that it seems some of the parents lack control over their children. In one aspect I believe a parent should give their children a good deal of freedom I also think that when they recognize something is harmful to them they can take it away from them. In this case it would be blocking the website at home or putting some passwords on the computer.
These clips of how our future students are going to be using technology kind of saddens me. I say this becuase the times of going to the library and digging through a book about something relevant are gone or are almost gone. This is an essential skill i believe and it would do everyone good to know how to look at information critticaly and not just take the first page that pops up on a google search. This said it is the task of educators to take what is happening in our society and use it to our advantage. We need to make sure that the students know how to examine a website with critical eyes and guide them on the correct way of verifying if a site is one, not biast but objective, two current, and three creditable. We can use these new technologies and the students relationship them to our advantages. It is an outlet to make our classes fun and relivant to them. We need to be resourseful with the things that our students give us without them even knowing, and maybe even then show them how to use old methods of research in a way that they can enjoy by using steps to get them there.
I think if we ignore the changing times of our society and how we acess information we will be doing an injustice to them. We need to create a well balanced student so if that means allowing them to use the internet to successfuly complete some task then do so, but maybe in conjuction with old methods to create that balance.
This PBS show has opened my eyes to some things I will need to work on. I have always really stayed away from technology and I'm afraid I will not be able to any longer. It is quite evident that in order to keep the kids attention I will have to be able to integrate technology into the classroom.
As for the kids in this documentary, I feel nervous about the future. I believe they are incapable of living without technology. They have got away from dealing with human interaction and I don't like that. Once you start losing that interaction you become non human or drone like in my opinion. These kids also have serious problems with instant gratification. You push one button and you get your answer. This isn't how life really is. Most of the time it does not work on the first attempt.I feel as though they are being set up for failure. I see it with younger kids I know, they cant handle not getting what they want in situations instantly.
Also they are being constantly overstimulated. Life, and school for that matter bore them, and erode they already shrinking attention spans.
This documentary also had me asking the question is the internet the problem or is there a larger problem with our society where many people are not happy being themselves? If the internet wasn't there would the unhappy kids disappear? I don't think so. Blaming the internet is like blaming the hole not the bullet that causes the hole. However I do believe that the internet is making a bad problem worse.
I think the UD booklet will help me design better units in advance so that I will be able to integrate technology into the classroom. being able to plan will assist me in bringing the most useful technology into the room while leaving the useless and perhaps dangerous technology out.
I can see the benefits and need of being able to use all the different types of technology such as pod casts, internet etc into the classroom, and hope one day to be able to do it successfully.
The clipped showed me how important it is to maintain my "withitness." We are in a constantly changing world of technology and our students will be at the forefront of that technological wave. That means as teachers we are going to have to try extra harder to be relevant and up to date with what is going on in the technological world.
I believe technology is a key factor in today educational atmosphere as well as social atmosphere. As a teacher I will need to take in to account the fact that these students are no longer just feuding in the hallway but have taken those feuds online. This frightened me a little because as a future teacher I realize that students want to feel safe and if in a safe environment they will be more eager to work.
Instead of fighting this technological movement I am going to embrace it. Technology can be a very useful and unifying tool if used properly. Elements such as google docs make it easier for students who are already spending a majority of their free time cruising the cyber web to work together.
The UBD model allows the teacher to outline the lesson plans in a way that makes the elements of technology evident in the lesson. Instead of just saying students will use technology it outlines how and what the student will learn from the technological mean by implementing essential questions.
The impact of technology on the 21st century student is huge; therefore, technology in TEACHING the 21st century student should be huge as well.
Students are being online at an earlier and earlier age. They are using the internet to ask questions, find answers, socially interact, date, and to express their emotions.
We, as educators, need to follow the same trend. We cannot force students to research everything in a library, in hardcover books. We have to change the way we teach to fit the needs and attention of the students. The same research and information that is found in books can be found in other places such as online. So we need to teach these methods.
Also, I believe safety needs to be taught to all students involved in the online world. New internet users are unaware of the dangers of the internet. Pornography, sexism, racism, and anarchy chat rooms and websites are easily accessible online.
Technology is rapidly changing how we interact with each other and changing how we learn. Teachers need to keep up so they can relate better with students. Relating to students is an important part of educating. Not to make friends, but to better understand what they are thinking and feeling.
First I would like to say that the phrase "you'll know what I mean when your older" comes into mind. The clips from frontline showed the benefits and cons to using the internet and how it impacts the kids/students of the 21st century. The internet allows students to express themselves in situations they usually wouldn't, it allows them to open up, and gives them a huge amount of beneficial and no beneficial information all at the same time. For teaching the internet in the same regards is both a blessing and a curse. In one instance it allows us to connect with our students on a different level, to reach them ways we usually could not through the computer screen or pod casting for instance. On the other hand it allows them to copy and paste to find ways around doing assignments and just doing the bare minimum needed for a project. Smart boards, online exams, and exercise make it easier for educators to reach their students, the internet does have its benefits and new tools are being created such as turnitin.com that helps with the situations educators are dealing with. As educators its up to us to be the bridge between the generation gap to fuse the old with the new to keep in touch with an ever changing generation. As for understanding by design about asking those essential questions and the Big Ideas behind certain content are essential. As educators we are to help guide these students into adulthood by showing them to respect, behave, how to use certain tools, to get them interested, involved, if teachers weren't there to help well what students would do. What they would learn, what would they know they liked, how would they meet the people they do. By asking those thought provoking questions, to let them hear face to face other thoughts on a subject where they usually only had one perspective they gain many others. We also have to be there to support these students, of course we can't do everything we are only part of the equation, as for bullying we have the ability to make our classrooms ones that are safe for our students, a place where the students feel accepted, but its true that parents will never truly understand their children, and children will never understand their parents. Maybe when they grow up and become parents will they understand that phrase "you'll know what I mean when you’re older" because I hate to say it....I agree. Some of the parents in the Growing up online videos, well as for Mrs. Skinner, I felt her intentions were just, but the way she went about it was a little much, but still the parents are needed, look at Autumn when her parents got involved and they talked and when the adults were parents and the kids listened they understood and things worked out for the best, I just wish it could have worked out better for Mr. Halligan, something like that should never happen. You know I truly wish sometimes that the kids of today could understand the adults of yesterday. In the end the internet is a two way road, there are good drivers and bad ones, backseat drivers and instigators, but its how you direct yourself and how you handle the situation that will lead you to your destination, hopefully safe and sound.
Technology is a tale of both good and evil. While technology can be used for good it can also be used for so much evil at the same time. Students get trapped into these cyber lives as the video eluded to and they don't know how to escape. They see the internet as a safe haven one which teachers and parents can not interfere with. But technology is good as well. The interenet is the prime example for both arguements here but teachers and students alike can use the internet for so many good things. Such as research, group work (with sites like google docs), background info, and many more. There is a wealth of knowledge to be had and the internet puts it at your finger tips.
I don't believe that the internet is a bad thing when used for the right things. Yes cyberbullying, predatorss, and the like are evil and need to be monitared but I believe that that is a matter of the parent not the teacher. Teachers need to limit the students to educational tools while using the internet. Technology is an ever evolving aspect of life. Imagine where we would be right now without the automobile or electricity. And yes even they have brought about negative features. Cars crashes, and blackouts. How much do we rely on electricity to live now?
I believe that by using UbD we as teachers can use technology to our advantage. We decide what students use and what online/technological advances will help them. Many great teaching tools are found online, videos, primary documents, etc. I believe by elimating them from our use of UbD would be a shame and that we would be robbing students of knowledge that would benifit them. It is all about monitering what they use and how they use it, and teachers play a key role in this development.
Students today are living in a completely different world than in previous generations. As demonstrated in the video, teenagers are living online as well as living in reality. Cyber-bullying is a problem that did not exist in previous years, and parents and teachers need to be aware of what goes on in a child’s cyber world in addition to the visible world. In one way, students have more to deal with because they have to deal with both of their worlds- online and real life. In another sense, students have it easier because they have constant access to resources like Sparknotes and Easy Bib. Overall, teachers need to understand and accept that their students have grown up online and we as educators need to adapt to them.
One important message that I got from the video series was that the internet is like a different world to teenagers. They can act one way in real life and a completely different way in their online life. The clip about the boy who committed suicide after being cyber-bullied was very disturbing and a definite eye opener because the parents had no idea what their son was going through because it was mostly online. I’m sure that his teachers also had no idea what he was going through because it mostly occurred online. As teachers, we need to be more aware of what the students are going through both in our classroom and online after class. It was such a tragedy what that boy went through.
Students are used to having images flashing before their eyes when they have numerous Instant Message screens up, their television on, and are texting all at the same time. As mentioned in the videos, educators need to realize and accept this. New technologies are being introduced that will help teachers adapt to their student’s needs. Podcasts, Blogs, and Smartboards are just a few ways that teachers are adapting to this influx of technology. Students no longer respond to straight lecture because their brains are wired to respond to images and multimedia.
Understanding by Design is useful with technology because it offers countless ideas for constructing a lesson/unit. It outlines what steps teachers should go through when designing a lesson and leaves room to insert technology. UbD forces teachers to think about the “essential question” and work a lesson around that. Videos, pictures, music, articles, and other forms of media work their way into every unit.
I really feel the advances in technology are good in some ways and not so good in others. The computer has many benefits. It is easy to access information and keep in touch with family and friends and such. It makes many assignments easier for teachers as well as students. But there are just so many negative effects of technology on people. It is unbelievable the amount of hours kids spend on the computer instead of doing something active. They spend most of their time on websites such as facebook or myspace and are not using the computer to better themselves. And in today's society, the internet is extremely dangerous. Students experience a whole other life while online.
Another negative effect of the internet is that student can cheat in many different ways. As the video showed many students do not read books any more and just go onto sparknotes and like sites in order to complete their book reports. It is important we as teachers find a way to work around such things and develop questions that only the book can answer.
I think it is important the parents as well as teachers stay informed and up on everything that students are doing on the internet. I think it is very important for safety. The thing that scares me the most about the internet is the safety of kids. I personally stay away from facebook and myspace because I feel it really takes away from a persons privacy and is dangerous. I think we need to continue to talk to kids about the dangers of the internet.
However, like I mentioned before, there is so many positives about the technology today. The computer is amazing when used the right way. You can access so many documents and writing and complete assignments with all the tools you need.
I believe UBD can play a major role with incorporating technology. In stage 1 we can set our goals, standards and questions and then ue technology to incorporate them into stage 2. We can set up our assignments using technology. Teachers need to be aware of the technology and incorporate it into our classrooms to help keep students interests. I believe this will really help the students down the road as well. We can do assignments such as online blogging, gmail assignments and incorporate videos or sound bites in projects and much more. There will be so many options for constructing a lesson plan when it comes to technology.
Technology has a great impact in the learning environment. I feel that technology has changed the way our students lean in and out of the classroom. Teenagers, and even younger students, rely on the computer for everything. My goal is trying to stay up to date with the current trend for high school students and be able to understand what they are doing and keep the "withitness"
While online, students do multiple things at once, and staying focused on one thing is decreasing at a rapid rate. I feel that to try and fight against using technology in the classroom is a losing battle. Our students are accustomed to moving from one page to another. We, as teachers, need to use technology to our advantage. I'm learning of new resources online that I can be able to bring into my classroom that will reinforce what I'm trying to teach.
However, I also feel that teaching the 21st century student should not be based around technology. These students are our future, and we need to teach them the things technology can't teach such as group work. Blending technology with 'traditional' ways of teachings will be able to reach the different types of students within the classroom.
We also have to be careful about what types of assignments we hand out. With technology in the classroom, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the proper ways to search on Google, appropriate websites to cite, and what to look for in a website when doing research.
I think this is where UbD comes in handy. By acknowledging what our main focus for our students is, we will be able to try and narrow down what our students may be looking for. By starting with the essential questions, we know what we are going to end up with and plan accordingly. If we started with stage 3, it may be harder to work in the technology or end up with our desired goal.
It is unfortunate to know about cyber-bullying. I think it is essential for teachers to recognize that the personal lives of students carries over into the classroom. We, as teachers, need to teach about technology not just use it in the classroom. With the vast amount of information at the click of a mouse, we need to teach our students about being safe online. Yet, I feel at the same time, will this create problems with the parents?
I watched this video in another class this semester, and every time I see it, it alsmost makes me angry. I'm not sure why students are so enthralled with the internet, but they are. I suppose it's only natural since they..and myself to an extent... have grown up with all of this fast-moving information right in front of our faces. I do believe that technology, especially the internet and the resources available through the internet, are extremely vital in learning in this, the 21st century, but I also believe it's imparitive that we not forget what teaching is all about. For students, it's also important to understand that the internet is not the only means of becoming educated and not the only means of being "involved."
I believe as teachers, we must remind our students that things like primary sources and other important printed materials are incredibly important, and just as interesting as newer, more "hip" internet sources. There must be a balance though. The internet can provide useful instruction tools, a great way to police for things like plagerism, and an easy way for students and parents to keep tabs on their grades and overall progress.
UbD helps us as teachers understand exactly what we are teaching by forcing us to think. It is so easy to find websites with premade lesson plans on just about anything... it's important for us to forge our own path in terms of how and what we teach. This will give students a better understanding of who we are as teachers and even who we are as people. UbD keeps us from becoming robots!!
Technology is a wonderful thing. It has allowed us to evolve in virtually every aspect of existence. Technology has also had positive impacts on learning and the classroom. In this digital age, information about anything can be obtained in seconds. However, like every other phenomenon in our society, it has negative aspects and serious backlashes.
This piece has illustrated for us just how the Internet impacts teenager socialization and the high school experience. The Internet, and the need for instant gratification are having a tremendous impact on society.
First, I think we need to address the problem of attention span. Mass media, the Internet and the pure speed of how we live has conditioned us for instant gratification, while simultaneously eroding our attention spans. This obviously has an adverse effect on learning in the classroom. However, if we completely adjust learning to fit current attention spans we are only enabling an exponential erosion of attention. We need to be more proactive than reactive in concern with attention span. Instead of adjusting directly to this problem, we need to research its manifestation, and develop methods, units and curriculum that remedy this problem in a gradient approach. This is an obvious problem, and it cannot be fixed instantaneously.
Cheating is another pitfall of the Internet and technology. If we allow students to learn from Internet excerpts of texts, ideas, and knowledge itself, we are allowing them to rob themselves of intellectual stimulation. If this is left unbridled, then we will indefinitely become less intellectually curious, and more ill prepared for the demands of an ever-changing world. Remember, not all people in the world sit at a computer all day that has access to the Internet.
Furthermore, the Internet can be more or less an escape from reality for students. Temporary escape from reality is fine; we all need to do that periodically. Contrary, completely escaping from reality on the Internet, which occurs to an alarming extent, is detrimental to the well-being and preparedness of students. Someone who dwells completely in the digital world will be unfit for the demands of real life. Real things happen in real life, and if we become too isolated by the Internet we are asking for a rude awakening. The Internet is a valuable tool, not a replacement for existence. Students need to be taught real skills that will prepare them for the challenges of real life in the real world. Obsessing over an Internet profile and a numerical measurement of friends is quickly replacing student’s want for intellectual curiosity and stimulation. Learning and intellectualism has taken a backseat to senseless self-indulgence into Internet media, television and digital activities. We are letting knowledge and learning slip through the cracks, and this is regressive to society as a whole.
As teachers, it is our job to blend and balance the use of technology and practical instruction when designing our units. The Internet can be the greatest tool we could ever possess, and it should absolutely be used in the classroom. However, it should not completely replace traditional instruction. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and integrating all of these educational resources into lessons and curriculum will be most beneficial to students, teachers and society as a whole.
Growing up online. . . What a scary way to think about a young person growing up. Technology can do some amazing things for people of all occupations but we must understand the tools before they are misused. Over and over again these young people see things like myspace and facebook being a "private" way to express themselves. This is obviously not true, almost anyone could gain access to it if they wanted. It is not for us to say that they are not allowed to use these "online communities" but it is our duty to make sure they know what they are actually using and how powerful it can be.
Along with these "fun" sites students can also find many educationally useful tools on the internet. An example that we are experimenting with ourselves is Google Docs. This is just one of many things that students can use and should be tought to use.
The UbD leaves room for a teacher to incorporate and kind of information or media if it is appropriate to the lesson. Technology cannot be ignored but there is a fine balance that must be kept to keep students learning and not just "using" the computer.
The clip was really interesting, and reminded me how much technology has changed the lives of the youth of America and the rest of the world. I often forget how much time my younger brother spends on the computer and playing video games with people across the world. When I lived at home with my parents, which was four years ago...I remember him playing on the computer for hours upon hours a week. When I was little, I played outside and occasionally watched TV, I didn't have the world wide web to grow up on, and I'm glad I didn't. I think the dependence that youth/students have on the internet is scary. At the same time, I think the technology is amazing, and it really should be utilized by teachers and incorporated into the classroom. As a parent, I think it will be best to find a happy median between those two.
As a teacher, knowing that students spend hours a day on the internet, it would be useful to put those skills to use in the classroom too. Students are experts on computers, and in many cases better than adults in this field, so why not let them exhibit their talents whenever possible. In a traditional classroom setting lecture, and with most things, attention span is about fifteen minutes for an adolescent. This means that after the introduction to a class period, the students are already thinking about what game they will play on the internet after school. With the internet in the classroom, students will be excited, and want to be in class. Of course random web searching and games wouldn't work out too well; programs like google documents, collaborative exercises, powerpoint presentations, concept mapping and online quizzes and games concerning content would be great in the classroom.
By enabling students to study and learn in the realm that are living their lives through for hours a day, it really could lead to growth and learning improvements in any school setting. This could also improve communications between teachers and students and teachers and parents. Parents could easily check what students are studying and learning on websites like quia (pronounced key-ah), which is an interactive web site that teachers utilize to post content in fun ways. This site has games, quizzes and a variety of activities that can be used in correlation with studying and taking notes in class. Parents can track what their children are being taught, and easily measure and assess their progress and learning/development.
Two scary things about students spending so much time online is the fact that their are creeps out there that can endanger these students, and that students are spending too much time online, rather than being active or actually communicating with people. I have heard stories about students lives being invaded by online bad-guys. I have seen young people develop alter egos or personalities online, giving them a sense of courage like never before, to say anything to anybody. I have seen students become drone like, staring at the screen for hours, without speaking and creating a false sense of reality. I have seen how bad a child can be when the internet isn't working or if it is taken away from them; like an addiction that is difficult to break or live without. If you can manage these things as a parent or teacher, than the great world of online technology should be utilized and considered when developing and designing lessons and units.
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