The students have spoken, this is their vision for their education, and they want engagement. So how can teachers accommodate these needs to ensure these students are engaged in learning? This video presents the reality of today’s learners and raises questions pertinent to the learning environment that we will be entering into. The statistics in this video don’t surprise me; it’s well known that this generation are the ‘digital natives’ and the teachers are struggling to keep up. This video serves as an awakening to the needs of this generation’s students and reiterates the importance for teachers to develop their skills in using technology.
Developing competency in using new media and technology is essential for all teachers; student teachers are being taught at university, but what will happen for teachers who weren’t brought up with technology. The world is becoming increasingly dependent upon technology within the classroom and beyond, thus equipping students with such skills will see them succeed in life. Engagement – technology can do this; why not use it?
Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
A recent blog written by Hayley depicts what I believe to be quintessential aspects of student learning. While these are expressed as elements of games that wouldn’t traditionally be categorised as educational, the video depicts how these games provide pedagogical benefits. Students of all ages are engaged in these games; however, their interest has nothing to do with the skill development or knowledge acquisition.
Hayley, in her blog, has summarised some of the skills games introduce to students. Through engagement in games students are learning how to follow instructions, working in sequential order to complete a task, although it was indicated that games with too many rules weren’t as popular as students would rather discover things along the way. These aspects of games are indicative of classroom learning, following classroom rules and instructions to complete tasks are essential to effective teaching and learning to occur. One teaching and learning approach that I believe is effective is allowing students to explore and experiment activities, the inclusion of this engages students in discovery learning.
These are only some of the benefits games provide as raised throughout the video, providing validation for their inclusion within the classroom. The benefits of gaming are clear and the students enjoy it, thus finding a game that incorporates levels of skill development relevant to the students’ needs should be considered as a pedagogical tool within the classroom.
Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPbiD7SHTCU
There was a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph by Miawling Lam depicting the extent to which children are being exposed to technology. The article titled ‘Kids find computers are child’s play’ tells how children as young as two are being introduced to word-processing and design programs in order to prepare them for life in the digital era. Students at childcare centres are using these technologies on a daily basis, which are providing stimulating experiences that they will incorporate for learning later in life. The article states that children’s skills are a lot more advanced, as they are starting to learn using a variety of digital resources earlier. So what does this mean for teaching technology in primary schools? Teachers will be required to develop their skills in using digital media to extend the learning experiences of students. It may initially be arduous to implement this level of digital media, however the benefits are obvious as the children “absolutely love it”.
Source: Lam, M. (2008, May 4). Kids find computers are child’s play. The Sunday Telegraph. p. 16
