The standards located in Standard 8 of NJ’s Core Curricula require a level of technological sophistication from public school educators. Schoolteachers will need to understand and navigate the requirements offered by the NJCCCS in order to effectively implement them in classroom lesson plans. Everything from showing students how to use social networks (for professional purposes), to having them perform research using digital resources, and to understanding the potential and limitations of technological resources in and of themselves and their broader social implications are but a few standards mentioned in Standard 8.
As a future high school educator, I will have to be willing and motivated to personally develop in line with technological trends that occur in society, and be able to offer guidance to my students on how to responsibly negotiate these trends. One really important way to integrate technology in the classroom and show students how to best make use of their resources, is like the example demonstrated by Frank Draper at Catalina Foothills High School. He had students use technological resources and tools to help create solutions to local ecological problems, thus making the students feel empowered, and allowing them to make connections between their classroom work and a broader social context. Being able to keep up with technology to implement in this manner is a skill worth cultivating, as I believe it is one which will always be valuable.
A district or school that prioritizes the use and negotiation of technological resources as a standard for students to achieve is a district or school that is prepared to do the pedagogical work demanded by 21st century needs. Ignoring the impact that technology makes on the incoming generation of students demonstrates a negligence that is only going to weaken the school’s efforts. For example, history teacher Steve Maher at Chatham High School, took note of the fact that students are going to look to the internet no matter what, for quick answers, and that intervening in how students do that could be a lot more productive than simply asking them to not do it. It is educators who think creatively like this that are going to be able to keep up with the demands of 21st century pedagogy.
Good. You are correct - kids today are tech users and consumers. Schools, teachers, and parents must help kids learn how to use technology as a tool and use it appropriately. Is must begin with the adults around the kids. Can you imagine - kids knowing more than the adults? There was a time when the adults knew more than the kids, especially things that really mattered.
ReplyDeleteYes, ignoring the fact that today's youth uses technology for everything will be a step back in guiding them toward becoming a part our society. Rosa Prorpora, a teacher at Chatham H.S. seems to have given up in the "fight" against digital resources. Maybe she should be looking for ways to incorporate such things into her classroom.
ReplyDeleteNice post. You consistently bring up valid points in your posts. We as teachers need to have students draw connections from what we teach in the classroom to real world examples. This will allow students to retain the knowledge very well. I agree that we need to show them the connections that internet presence can have on their careers. Keep the good stuff coming!
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