Read the article "Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World." In this article author-educator Marc Prensky's newest buzzword is "futurecation," which he says involves
preparing students to do things "we could never do before." He believed that rather than
continuing with a content focus—math, English, science, and social
studies (or "MESS" as he calls it)—he said, "I think we need a new core:
effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and
effective accomplishment. Thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing ought to be what primary and secondary school is about." Do you agree or disagree with his approach? How do you feel this approach would affect the way you teach now or will affect the way you teach in the future?
167 comments:
This is very interesting, because i just read another article that was along the same lines as this. Technology in the classroom is not a bad idea. Who is to say we cannot use our smart phones to look up information in a classroom when presented with a question. I believe the student will learn more by looking up the answer rather than having the teacher give them the answer. As far as the other skills that should be taught in secondary schools, why not? I believe kids will highly benefit from learning these skills.
I agree with this approach to a certain extent. Teaching is definitely drastically changing due to new technology every year and I believe that students should be encouraged to utilize this technology because it is the future. I agree with Prensky on how students should be taught effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment because these are all positive traits that will help in the students’ future. The questions teachers are asking should not be able to be looked up on google. Teachers’ questions should be of a higher standard in which students need to use critical thinking to answer them.
I disagree with one part of Prensky’s approach which is the math, English, social studies, and science subjects. Students should still be taught these subjects because they are so important, but I believe that teachers should utilize technology to assist in teaching these subject areas.
I found the sentence about the past learning through reading while current students learn through technology to be very interesting. Computer literacy is very important, but we must not forget that basic literacy is just as important and must not stray away from that. Technology is here to stay, so we might as well adapt and take full advantage of it as soon as possible.
I agree with the notion that teachers must step away from micromanaging and let the students learn on the own (the "Surprise Me" statement). Students want to be given the power to learn on their own pace and student-centered teaching reincforces that.
I think that the arguments presented in this article were definitely valid on many levels. I agree with the fact that schools must adapt to today’s societal norms just to catch up. Children are immersed in technology everyday in every other context besides school. Although schools are incorporating more technology in the classroom, there still needs to be constant change and improvements. I strongly agree with the idea of teaching children things such as motivation, empathy, respect and passion but I feel these things can still be taught simultaneously with content area subjects. I agree that children today are learning at a much quicker rate and have answers at their fingertips, but I do still think there is a place for content focus in the classroom.
As a future teacher though, this article has helped me think about how I will be with my students. Teacher’s roles are becoming more of a facilitator instead of a direct source of information. Giving students more responsibility with their learning is also becoming a trend, as students want to research and look information up on their own with their own devices. I think the “new core” that Prensky discusses (thinking, action, relationships, accomplishment) is important and I feel teaching the different aspects of social development are crucial for children to learn both in school and outside of school.
There are some parts of this article that I agree with and other parts that I do not. While it is becoming clear that testing students on memorization of facts is not necessary because they always have access to information, students should not need to rely on these tools. Right now, smart phones are not available to everybody, so there is still a place for memorization in school. Students need to learn to think and show that they understand the facts that are given to them rather than just repeating what was told to them.
-Patrick H
I think that this article brings up a very interesting question. Although many people in the education field today have an "old school" way of thinking about the education process, I think that it is important for the education process to change and evolve with life today. The article makes many good points supporting technology in the classroom. While basic literacy is still very important, so is computer and technology literacy. I think that if he do not instruct and prepare the children of the world how to use the new technology that is being developed, they will never reach their true potential.
-Nick Gilbert
Marc Presnky makes a few interesting points in this article. I agree that we should prepare our students for the future and teach them effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishments. However, I do not think we should forget about the core subjects, math, english, science, and social studies because there are important concepts that students need to know from them. Based on this approach, I think more technology will be incorporated in the lessons of my future classroom. Also, the students will be responsible for finding the information and I will be asking them the higher order questions about the material.
-Mariya L.
I agree with Cara’s comment. Not only is teaching changing with the technology, but also with the new standards. I also believe that teaching students the new core will benefit them in the future, especially in college. I agree that teachers should ask critical questions that make their students think critically about issues.
-Mariya L.
Teachers should model new learning practices to their students and colleagues, but replacing centuries old liberal arts curriculum with broader, undirected goals seems premature. Prensky states, "Thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing ought to be what primary and secondary school is about." However, the article offers no advice as to what students should be thinking about, what they should be acting on, how they should relate (to each other, the teachers, the curriculum, the school system), and what they should be accomplishing. Although Prensky makes a valid point: teachers and schools should be challenged to adapt to a new generation of learners, a mean should be established between teaching traditional core subjects and new, emerging ways of engaging students.
I have every intention of encouraging my students to be as creative as they can be using technology, but would find it difficult to do so without a tried curriculum acting as a guidepost along the way.
Articles like this help educators wrestle with the question of how to strike the right balance between old and new styles of teaching.
-Peter L.
Technology is definitely here to stay and as teacher I agree we must adapt and learn to use technology effectively. Prensky states “kids understand the world is through technology” which is certainly true to an extent. Kids today are more and more familiar with and you often see adults asking children to help them with the newest devices. Technology is something kids relate to and enjoy using. As teacher we must embrace this use this to improve student learning.
Prensky also states that we as teachers must shift the focus from traditional content to a new core of learning. I’m not sure if I agree with this. I think the core knowledge presented in school is important and gives kids a firm foundation of knowledge. Technology should absolutely play a part of learning and be used to enhance and further knowledge.
In the article, Prensky brings up several good points about the role of technology in today’s classrooms and the everyday lives of students such as the fact that students today learn through technology instead of reading like previous generations did, students should be allowed to use their technology in the classroom, and teachers should model technologies for students then let students use these technologies in the classroom. I agree that times are changing and technology has become a big part of everyday life for many of us, not just those in the current technological generation and should in turn be part of the way students learn. I also agree that the role of the teacher is changing from being the main focus of the classroom through lecture to being “learners first, teachers second”. Although, I feel that many of the changes he wants to make to the curricula and his new “core” are rather idealistic and radical. All the new technologies in the market and in schools are a great way to increase student learning and their interest in the subjects they are learning; however, it seems as though everything is being implemented faster than teachers are able to keep up and in such a way that the technology is used simply to be used, not in its most effective manner. While teachers should try to adapt to using some new technologies in their classrooms it is important to remember that just as the current generation is technology focused every generation before learned without the use of technology and such a change over will not happen overnight. Prensky also forgets that there is currently a new common core being implemented in schools across the country that so far as I’ve heard leaves little room for creativity and change. It is difficult to adapt the way teachers teach and the materials and methods they use to teach when they are given a relatively strict set of guidelines they are required to follow and materials they are required to use. It is also difficult for teachers to use new technologies when there is no training to learn how to use it and no guidelines about how it should be implemented.
I do agree with Prensky that teaching is now changing due to technology, but I do not entirely agree with his argument. I think that teachers are going to have to integrate technology in some way, because it may be the only way to captivate students whose lives revolve around it. I also think that teachers should always have been learners first, because it is important for teachers to model learning so their students can replicate this learning process on their own when they do school work at home. I do not think that a teacher should always just allow the students to sort of teach themselves and just be there to support them. Teachers should be the ones teaching in the classroom, I think technology the way Prensky sees it, should be used at home to complement a student's learning. Technology can be used in a classroom for research assignments or creative thinking, but I do not feel it should take over the classroom. I do not think his approach would affect my teaching style, though I will definitely use technology in my class and encourage my students to use it when appropriate, but I do not want it to take over my lesson.
I agree with Cara B. about how she said teachers should not be asking questions that can be looked up on google. We should definitely be asking questions of higher thinking that makes the students think creatively about information we have presented to them.
I do agree with Marc Prensky’s idea of making technology in the classroom an important source of learning and teacher’s there to give children support and empathy but also guidance and motivation. I wanted to become a teacher to motivate and share my passion of learning with my students. I think that a lot of teacher tend to lose sight that they are a role model in their student’s lives and need to be more than just teaching curriculum but show them the right morals and values to make them into a better person. For the fact of incorporating technology into the classroom, I think that in this time and age, it is necessary to involve technology into the classroom. Many children are easily motivated with different technological assistances. When Will Richardson stated about school being the only place that children cannot take out their technological devices and use them to answer the questions. Well yes that it true, but as a teacher I want the children to actually retain information they learn, not just read it forbadem from the internet. Teachers need to find a way to incorporate technology into the classroom and at the same time teach students effectively what they are supposed to be learning.
The article raises some very interesting points. As technology continues to advance at an exponential rate, educators must keep pace and incorporate this new technology. Moreover, they must empower students to utilize this technology for their own betterment (educational and otherwise). We've come a long way from the abacus, yet basic fundamentals of math have not changed much. Though technology has gotten better, there is still a significant amount of information that must be "taught" before a student can use these new technologies to their full potential.
I also like the idea behind the "Surprise Me" approach, but I do not necessarily feel that all management of student methods/approaches should be entirely removed. There are times when students should be free to take their own approach toward problem solving with technology; on the other hand, there are instances where there will be a technological approach that is clearly superior. The educator should be mindful of such things and encourage (but not necessarily force) students to employ methods of best practices if known and when applicable.
- Jesse G.-
I have always thought that as educators, we need to be teaching more than just the core subjects, or the "MESS" subjects. Although I do believe those are important subjects, I do believe that skills such as critical thinking and effective relationships are just as important.
I strongly agree with Will Richardsons claim that teachers should be "learners first, teachers second". It is so important to keep our minds open to learning even after we complete our education. The more we learn, the more we benefit our students.
I also think his theories on technology in the classroom are interesting. I feel like I am in an interesting generation, as I am learning all new types of education technologies that were not even around when I was in high school. To me, traditional strategies are what I prefer, but I know my future students are more familiar with IPads and SMART boards then I am. I think these are interesting factors affecting the next generation of teachers, and agree with his theory that we are "digital immigrants".
I agree with Prensky when he states that technology should be used more frequently in today's classroom. It is true that this generation of students uses technology to get all of their information and the old way of learning just is not working for them. For instance he stated that students should be able to pull their phones out to look up an answer to a question, I believe that this source of technology should be more available for students while learning, but at the same time the students will have to be actively taught and disciplined on the proper use of using cell phones or any technology in the classroom. I believe this approach can be a benefit to teachers and students, I also agree that students should learn affective thinking, effective relationships, and effective accomplishments. Sometimes too much emphasis is put into content areas, which depending on what the students interest are or what they plan to do in their future does not really have a great educational impact for them. In addition students will be better off if they were doing hands on learning and learning real world creation and learning. Students in todays society are so used to things rapidly changing and moving and lecturing is not getting through to students anymore. Using hands on learning can get students more involved in their education and can be more engaging for students. I believe this approach can better prepare our students for the real world and adulthood.
I agree with Prensky’s approach because I think that students should take other classes besides the typical curriculum classes. Not every student is book smart because some succeed in other areas outside the main subjects. Giving students opportunities and preparing them for the real world allows more students to be successful. As the students now have grown up using technology, I think it is extremely important that it is incorporated into the classroom because it teaches to all learning styles.
As technology is recently the new wave of education, veteran teaches who started with just a chalk board will have trouble adjusting to this reform. As a first year teacher, I have been lucky enough to have a SMART Board and individual computers in my classroom. I think this approach has already affected my teaching, and will more so in the future when more technology is produced. Hands on learning and self-discoveries allow students to not only learn the material but also acquire a deeper understanding.
I 100% agree with Prensky’s ideas of altering the curriculum to a more progressive and futuristic idea of what students should be learning and preparing for. With technology drastically controlling and shifting society at such a rapid pace, education systems might as well incorporate technology and embrace it, rather than sticking to the traditional education system. I strongly believe in “futurecation,” where students can do greater things now than they used to have the ability in the past. I love how Prensky worded this supportive statement, "The main way we understood the world was through reading. The main way today's kids understand the world is through technology."
School should be based around creation, hands-on experiences, critical thinking, and effective action. As educators, we must keep up with societal trends and technological turns, allowing students to be on the higher side of the learning curve. We must think ahead and consistently use progressive practices.
I do not agree with Prensky’s approach about moving our focus from MESS to thinking, action, relationships, and accomplishment. For the future, students need to know math, science, and language arts in order to be successful in high school, college, and for the real world. If I did not have the education I have, I don’t think I would be where I am today. However, I do agree that the world is evolving especially technologically and we need our students to adapt in the classroom (not just using their Ipad or iphones outside the classroom). I think, as a teacher, we can keep the MESS with the “futurecation”; Integrate the iPads in the classroom; give students iPads to make conversations through a blog post; make the students think and interact with one another to create relationships. To me, it’s not a one or the other idea- its about collaborating the two to make our students the best they can be in all aspects.
I found this article very interesting. This aligns well with the notion that telling students “you won’t always have a calculator” is no longer valid. Students today were raised in a world where technology is everywhere, and will become even more so as we live our lives. The jobs and skills that students today will need in their future will require technology, and by not preparing them for that we are doing them an injustice. I’m not saying we need to eliminate the “MESS” subjects, but possible reinvent the way we teach and evaluate our students. I believe the phrase “surprise me” is extraordinary. So often students want know if A then B, so when they see A on the test the immediately know to but down B, but that is not that way to learn. Students need to use all of their available resources to complete tasks, and develop their own thought process using these resources.
In reading this article it is certainly an interesting outlook. For the time and place in today’s world it seems a bit radical. Every person needs “MESS”, not having those subjects would be foolish. I think technology has taken away certain aspects of how children and teens are developing so now we need to teach them those ways in school? In a subject area? Yes, I agree we need to adapt and change with technology as teachers but those schools and school districts need to keep teachers in the loop and devote time and money to technology. Every student needs the “MESS” subjects, getting rid of those would most certainly create a mess for students in the future.
I agree with the increase of technology in our children’s lives. Everyone uses some sort of technology to figure out an answer or solve a problem. It is important that teachers introduce different technology in the classroom and focus activities on the use of technology and researching. However, reading and other content areas are still vital in human life. Students need to gain knowledge and not rely on their skill of researching to determine the answer to a problem. Even though many people think they will never use math concepts or reading skills, they will use similar skills in real-world situations. It is unfortunate to meet people who do not know the basic facts and history of this country or the world surrounding them. People should know their geography and not rely on a GPS all the time. These are skills that teachers need to teach to the people of the future. Yes, I agree teachers need to guide and show students how to effectively think and act, but this goes along with the core curricular subjects. This article did bring to light the emphasis of technology today and how I should incorporate it more often in my lessons. There are so many fun projects that can involve researching. The students will enjoy feeling more independent and responsible for their own work when they are provided these types of hands-on learning.
The concept of futurecation is a very difficult concept to agree with inside the classroom. Prensky explains how he believes that education needs to move away from specific subjects and concentrate on the critical thinking and ability of a student in an academic and social environment. By promoting this new theory, teachers cannot focus on specific topics but assess the student’s ability to accomplish the goals the class is expected to have.
I disagree with the statement of removing the MESS core in secondary education. A secondary education allows a student to receive a variety of information on different subjects that prepare students for a college education. The secondary education of a student should be based on if he or she can comprehend and demonstrate the knowledge of the subject. Accomplishing projects would not address the proper education. The final reason I disagree with Prensky is the reduction of the role of a teacher. The article explains how teachers attending his speeches think that the job description of a teacher has changed. Technology may enhance what a student can learn but it cannot replace the teacher’s direct education.
I found this article to be interesting because it talks about a whole new view of thinking for not only the students but the teachers as well. I believe that it is important that students still learn the core subjects of math, english, social studies, and science because I feel it exposes children to different areas of study that they might find interesting and excel in. Technology can be a great thing with assisting during a lesson but i don't think it should be the sole provider because they children can have the tendency to only think one way.
I don’t necessarily disagree with Prensky in the article. However, I believe there does not need to be a complete overall of the educational system. I believe that teacher’s need to find approaches (possibly unconventional ways) to incorporate the tools into their lessons. In this case, the tools are technology. Find ways to incorporate smart phones, tablets, video, etc. into your current curriculum as a way of interactive learning. If a teacher does not incorporate such skills I agree with Prensky and the students in the room assume the impression of “being left behind” or “passive” towards technology. This approach doesn’t affect the way I teach now or in the future as technology in primarily used in the classroom. However, letting my students use technology I felt has engaged them to incorporate effective learning, relationships, action and accomplishment that might have been lost with traditional learning. As the title of the blog suggests, students are always connected!
This was a very interesting article to read. There are some points that I agreed with, but others that I most definitely disagree with. Schools do need to adapt and catch up with the current trends in technology, but it can and will change learning for the better. Older teachers, or the "pre-Internet" generation need to understand that children now are born into a world filled with technology. We cannot judge these children based on our old ideas and beliefs, but rather accept the changing world. Older teachers are "digital immigrants" and children are "digital natives." Technology is overpowering reading in importance, which I personally see as a problem. Technology gives us an abundance of information very quickly, however, this is not always best. Children need to think, and not have the instant gratification of simply finding the answers on the Internet. Students need to be given opportunities and experiences in the classroom that do not require technology, but rather allows students to inquire and discover without technology. There is a time and place for that.
I agree with the approach of using technology in the classroom, but to an extent. I do not believe that a student should have full range to a technological device as a cell phone in class, as they could become distracted with other things at any time. However, with guidance, students should be able to use technology in the classroom. I loved the sentence, "They need to model the process of learning for students and show them what intrinsic motivation and curiosity and creativity look like." This says that given the right tools and knowledge on how to use them, students will benefit greatly. I will continue to use technology with my students in the classroom.
I found this article very interesting. The author brings up the fact that technology is going to replace teachers. I don't necessarily agree with this. I find technology to have a positive impact in a classroom, especially when it comes to classroom management. Having the resource of a IPAD as a tangible reinforcement is a positive way to redirect misbehaving kids. I do feel however, that we need to emphasize teaching our kids how to write and perhaps using technology whether it be an IPAD or computer to type up whatever they are writing. I also feel that even though it seems that technology has taken over classrooms, there will always be a need for teachers. As teachers, we give our students what technology can't, such as explanations, feedback, and having the ability to really sit down with them to review a point or lesson they did not retain and give them that personal one-on-one attention.
This article sparked a memory from one of this past year's faculty meetings. There was an issue where a form of technology was being used by some teachers and not used by others. Parents began to complain that one teacher put the notes online while others gave the responsibility to the students to take proper notes during class. One of the arguments to not use the online website portal was because it would take away from the teacher's instruction. What is there to prevent a student from staying home from school if all of the notes were put online for the student to read?
I understand the concerns of that argument but there are also other reasons for using online websites that can benefit a student's education. Not every student learns in the same way. If only notes were put online, some students would not be able to learn the information on their own. Would some students be able to receive excellent grades on a test with just online notes? Sure! But what about the other students that thrive off of their educational experience in the classroom. To me, the use of technology can only enhance a student's education. It only becomes a hindrance when technology is not used properly or is not used for educational purposes.
I do agree that there is less of an emphasis on reading when technology is used, but that is only because the instructor has not differentiated their lessons enough to implement some sort of reading activity. Several different types of activities should be included in every lesson which will, as a whole, create the opportunity for a positive educational experience. This will provide every student with every opportunity to comprehend,analyze and make connections with the material presented.
I think that preventing the students from using technological devices just deters from their willingness and motivation to participate in the classroom. As educators, we must constantly change our methods to engage as many of our students as possible. If that means lifting the ban of commonplace technological devices, I believe it would greatly enhance the student’s enthusiasm for learning the material. I do believe that tablets/iPads along with educational applications can be beneficial to the learning environment. However, I believe that having cellphones in the classroom could be risky. I think that the students should have some boundaries and guidance when using various devices. The article states how "the teacher should be a learner first and a teacher second; that the teacher should model the learning process for their students and show them what intrinsic motivation and curiosity and creativity look like." Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World.
I agree with the concept of a big increase in teaching students how to think and questions and investigate. I don't feel as strongly about moving away from traditional subject knowledge and letting the kids decide what school should be. That might be oversimplifying the point of the article, but it seems to be the way that the teachers in question believe things are going. Teachers absolutely need to be able to draw their students in and motivate their desire to learn, and the use of technology is an increasing important and necessary way to accomplish these things. But it sounds very much like a cop out to say that Google is useful enough to overrule other learning practices. Other than that, I plan to make better use of questioning strategies in my own classrooms. Repeating facts is useless if concepts are not understood and technology that students use every day can be helpful in leading them to explore the world around them.
I enjoyed reading this article. I love Prensky’s new vocabulary words like futurecation, digital immigrant and digital native. It puts an emphasis on the idea that these technological changes our world is going through are dramatic and permanent. This technological renaissance will affect everything, including education. I agree with him when he says the role of the teacher should be to teach motivation, respect, empathy, and passion. Focusing on instilling these in children obviously will have positive ramifications. I also agree with Prensky when he says a new core of effective thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing would be more ideal than our current “MESS” core. If new technologies allow students to become more independent learners, we should embrace it. I believe that teaching students how to be effective learners will only increase their knowledge in the old ”MESS” categories. There seems to be a lot of resistance to these new technologies in the classroom, however as they become more readily available for cheaper, it will surely become commonplace.
I feel it is true that unfortunately teaching in the classroom is not the same anymore due to technology. Although this is a downside, technology is now what is encouraged and used throughout the classroom. The questions teachers ask in the classroom should be higher thinking questions that students should leave the classroom feeling more knowledgeable and not have to use a computer device to ge the answer. Teaching is still very important. No computer or piece of technology can teach a child what they need to know. Teachers should be the baseline of a students education although they should utilize technology in the education.
I think that Marc Prensky's ideas are intriguing. He thinks that since students have so much technology available to them that the teacher's role is to give their students what technology can't which is: motivation, respect, empathy, and passion. I really liked that he said that teachers should be learner's first and teachers second because it helps the teachers see though the students eyes. I don't however agree with his ideas that teacher's shouldn't teach traditional subjects like Math, Science, Social Studies and English, I do think that we should be teaching them differently now that we have so much technology available to us.
The article “Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World” provides some insight into how technology could and should be utilized within the classroom. He recognizes the advantages of teachers incorporating various forms of technology in the classroom to enhance learning, as well as the need for educators to teach skills that technology cannot. Skills such as empathy, compassion, motivation, etc…. I agree, that educators, first need to be students themselves, prior to incorporating technology in the classroom. As an educator, who is relatively tech savvy, I believe that educators provide more to students than simple intrinsic motivation strategies. As a hybrid -educator that embraces and supports both traditional educational values and progressive values, I foresee a need for teachers in the classroom to teach life skills, social skills and assist children in demonstrating proficiency across content areas. I worry that as we continue upward in this digital storm, traditional teaching practices may become extinct, and the future of educators will be questionable?
I can definitely identify to the relevance of this post. We are a society so heavily dependent on technology and we use it everyday. Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, but I can see how many people feel it limits free thinking, but truly so many great ideas are replicas of others people's ideas. It is how a student or teacher approach this. Use the technology but encourage the free thinking in the way the technology is used or how the assignment is reflected upon. If the students are held accountable and assigned to give reasoning behind their findings, the technology can be used as an asset not a clutch or easy ways out.
This is a very interesting but not a surprising approach. The world is changing because of the technology, therefore schools have to change too. I rather the classroom be a mix of technology and books but the way technology is advancing I am sure in some schools books will not even exist. The school I work at gives ipads to the students for the year. The ipad serves great purposes for education. There are many apps they can use. Each individual student can learn their own way if the teacher allows it. The only problem I have faced with ipads is that students always want to use it and also like to play games on it that are not even educational. I had to take ipads away from some students on a daily basis because they would be on it playing games while I was talking or while they were supposed to do other work on their ipads. However, I think they are a great addition to the school.
I thought the term “digital immigrant” is very significant to the text. Those who grew up in a different time are not accustomed to technology. They compared reading to technology because people in the past relied only on reading. Today, people rely on technology. The role of the teacher is shifting to one of a mentor. They are there for support, where as the technology is the true “teacher”.
I think the article “Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Network World” provided Marc Prensky’s opinion on how he thinks we as teachers should implement teaching based on technology available to us. I do not agree with his approach on not teaching the traditional subjects like Math, Science, Social Studies and English. I do believe students need these fundamentals. However, I do agree that as a future teacher I will need to teach my students differently especially by implementing all the available technology. I would use technology as a tool to enhance the learning of each of the fundamental subject areas.
While reading this article, the name Prensky stood out to me. Mainly because as I have been working on my thesis I have read many of his literature about digital natives versus digital immigrants and their distinct definitions. With the use of technology within the classroom we have a distinct difference in generations between our students and our educators. Many of the older educators do not have the competency and patience to learn the new ways of the technological world.
To say that “reading is diminishing in importance” is a very harsh statement. To think that technology is taking away the ability for our students to actually read documents is disturbing. With this technological age, I am hoping our educators are using the new advances in ways to better their teaching and motivate our youth to learn. In addition I hope that educators will use the technology as a guiding force in the learning process and not to teach the content itself. Teachers should not lose their focus and desire to teach and let technology teach for them. Teachers still have an obligation to teach students and help them succeed in their learning. Technology should only be used to supplement the teachers distinct teaching style. I loved when the author wrote “In light of abundant technology and access to information, he said, the role of the human teacher is now "to give students what technology can't—motivation, respect, empathy, and passion." It is such a powerful statement and means a lot to myself and how I feel about educators today.
Prensky was definitely right when he said that we judge the new generation based on old beliefs. It is easy for those who were never taught with such an emphasis on technology to place judgement on those who are presently. We feel that technology, although necessary, is taking away from the learning experience. However, it is the way of the world nowadays and is essential for day-to-day life. I definitely thought it was an interesting point that we, as educators, have the duty to give to children what technology cannot, and that is human interaction. Motivation, respect, empathy, and passion are all key ingredients when it comes to excelling academically. It was also an enticing statement that Will Richardson made when he asked why school was the only place his kids couldn’t take out their phone to answer a question. I can’t even count how many times I’ve relied on google to answer my day-to-day questions.
The teacher role definitely needs to change in this world of technology. I think that the best way to handle this is to take the emotional route; by assisting children in accomplishing, thinking, and acting as students. Because it is their generation, they don’t know any other world than the technological one. It is our duty as educators to see how we can fit in and Prensky has definitely found it.
Author/educator Marc Prensky makes an good point when he notes that many educators learned primary through reading due to being part of the pre-internet generation while today's students often learn by using some form of technology as a method of gaining information. Due to this shift, he points out that the role of the teacher in the classroom is changing to to give students what the technology can't -" motivation, respect, empathy, and passion." While I do agree with the idea that education needs to embrace technology as an essential part of instruction as students become more responsible for their own education, I believe that educators have a more important role than primarily acting as a technology facilitator.While active learning and authentic experiences are central to student learning, there needs to be educators guiding students through their learning incorporating learning strategies and learning standards into the curriculum. With the importance and emphasis on implementation of the Common Core Standards, handing a students an iPad and telling them to "Surprise Me" might not necessarily yield the desired result.
I definitely agree with Mr. Prensky. We are living in a different world than we were several years ago, and we need to meet the learning needs of this generation. I disagree with Mr. Prensky that we need a new core. I believe we need to tweak the new core to, once again, meet the learning needs of this generation. Adding more technology to the classroom and the skills that Mr. Prensky discussed to the core will make this generation's learning experience much more pleasurable. It will make the classroom a much more personal experience. While we are not psychologists, as it was discussed in the article, making the classroom more about the students and the thinking process, rather than "force-feeding" them information. will be more engaging for this generation.
We need to integrate technology into our classrooms as a teacher. As said in the article, kids are not learning as much through reading as they are through technology. Students do not want to be bored through reading articles, papers, and textbooks. Technology is somethings kids enjoy using and definitely has much more information and learning tools than a standard book or textbook. I am not saying that technology should take over inside the classroom, but rather aide the teacher in educating. This will give students something to look forward to throughout the lessons. Saying that they will use computers to do a project or a fun learning game will motivate them to get through the lessons and retain the core material. Ipads are being incorporated into the classroom which are letting the students gain more knowledge with programs and tools that aide in their learning.
I do agree with some of the points from the article. Technology is here to stay and we should be teaching how to use it correctly. Students are used to working with their phones or their ipads and allowing the tool to be used in the classroom can have pros. However, I think it can become a distraction if it is not being used correctly. Danielle made a good point in giving the students more responsibility through using technology and I do agree with this. Technology used correctly will helped students learn more information than of a teacher on a day to day basis.
While I do agree with most of the points that Marc Prensky makes in his speech about technology being the future of education, I strongly disagree with the approach he is taking to push his new ideology. When he makes statements like "reading is diminishing in importance" and then goes on to coin the acronym "MESS" for Math English Social studies and Science, he is making dangerous leaps in order to push across his own agenda. I wont disagree that education is changing and that technology is at the forefront of that change, but I am not ready to throw all of the classical subjects out the window. There is a reason that these subjects are included in the core curriculum across the world and that is because they provide students with the opportunity for the very thing that Prensky discusses in his speech: "I think we need a new core: effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. Thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing ought to be what primary and secondary school is about." The very attributes that Prensky wishes to instill in students is already happening in classrooms around the world that are teaching the core subjects or what Prensky refers to as "MESS".
In my opinion, Prensky is trying his hardest to discredit the old way of educating students so that he can push his books and sell his idea of "futurecation" to those who will buy it.
This was a really good read. I agree with the amount of technology that is out today and the student being able to use it in class. I feel that there is an abundance of information online, so if the student has the access at their fingertips, they are able to answer questions and help themselves learn. As Mr.Prensky said, were living in a different generation today, and we should change with the changes.One line stood out to me..kids today will be ok without us...I believe this to a certain extent. Some kids need to be shown by physical example, while some kids will be able to teach themselves...
I agree with Mark Prensky’s approach to an extent. I believe that technology has a much larger impact on students today than every before so it is important to take that into consideration when teaching in the classroom, but we should not eliminate the traditional methods of teaching. Students should be still be learning about the content areas, but adding technology into the way we teach the children would be useful. Children should be able to know how to do things rather than just Googling the answer to everything. By resorting to the Internet for all the answers, the students will not actually be learning, they will just be given the answers.
I agree with Marc Prensky and Will Richardson, this school generation has been turning to technology for many students. I remember when I observed last year and the classroom I was in every single student had an Ipad. When I walked in I thought it was so strange because growing up I had binders, paper and a pencil so technology is slowly taking over. I am not saying it’s a bad thing but I still do believe in writing using a paper and a pencil. I think I am very old school when it comes to school. Even books should be read not on an Ipad but read using a book. Yes kindles are nice to read on but I believe to use at Kindle on your own time and not while being in school. I do think teachers need to change especially since it looks like technology will take over the schools in the next few years. As teachers we need to get used to all the new technology. We need to know how it works and how to best teach our students using it.
I found this article to be very interesting. As someone who is going to school to be an English teacher and a TESOL teacher and language being a fundamental factor in that, I think the concept of the teacher being there to give students what technology cannot is very fascinating and a very good point.
Too often it seems that teachers look at technology as the enemy, when maybe we should be looking at it as a co-teacher almost. We can't enjoy technology and isn't it better to embrace it than to be ignorant towards it? Technology is only becoming more advanced and the last thing that we should be doing as educators, is falling behind on the concepts of technology and what it does. We should be learning it just as the students are and using it to help us create a better learning environment for each and every student.
Mr. Prensky's article was very interesting to me. I admit, I am old school; I think students should utilize their ability to write as opposed to typing, and reading from books as opposed to Kindles. But I do agree that teachers should be viewing technology as a co-teacher in a way. Teachers should learn the up to date technology and use it as a way to engage and connect with their students better. Kids today think all the technology is "the norm" just like people my age thought pens, papers, and textbooks were "the norm" at school. We should use the students' interest and knowledge with technology to our advantage and incorporate it in the classroom. I really liked the classroom slogan, "Surprise me!" to be put in a classroom. I do believe students can surprise us and learn and accomplish things using technology that we wouldn't have thought of. But I do agree with teachers being the "motivation, respect, empathy, and passion" which technology cannot give to students.
Technology in the classroom is definitely an advantage to have. The main reason I believe this is that students are engaged when using technology and are more interested in the lesson when technology is used in the classroom. The benefit of having video clips, online blogs, and computers in the school buildings can make doing group projects way more entertaining and easier in the school building. Students can only benefit from technology and their is no bad side. Technology is not just a trend, but something to stay and progress in the future.
Joe G.
Technology in the classroom is definitely an advantage to have. The main reason I believe this is that students are engaged when using technology and are more interested in the lesson when technology is used in the classroom. The benefit of having video clips, online blogs, and computers in the school buildings can make doing group projects way more entertaining and easier in the school building. Students can only benefit from technology and their is no bad side. Technology is not just a trend, but something to stay and progress in the future.
Joe G.
I don't completely agree with this article. I do believe that technology is important to incorporate into the classroom there is still value in teaching using older practices. I can't see how it is beneficial to a child to stare at a screen all the time without interacting with other human beings. That socialization aspect is still so important as are the content areas of math, ela, science and social studies.
This article was very interesting to read. I wish that when I was in school we had the technology that they have today in a classroom. I observed in a classroom for the first time and everything in the classroom was tech savvy. The students were more engaged and focused on the lesson. I feel that today, technology is a HUGE impact on a students lives and is only going to get better as the years go by. Students use technology everywhere, at home, on the go, and now in the classroom. I feel that yes, not everything needs to be on a computer, but kids today love the computer, so why not put a lesson on something they love to do? The only way students are going to be focused on a lesson is if it interests them, and being on a computer and using it hands on, will help them stay focused!
I agree with Prensky to an extent. While I agree that "effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment" is very important and should be incorporated into the classroom daily, I do not agree that the "MESS" subjects should be put on the back burner. I agree with C Gianesses who believes that students should only be able to use technology in the classroom if they have guidance, so that the technology does not become a distraction or hinderance to learning. Technology allows teachers to engage students in different ways and motivate them through channels that are more relatable to today. I think that incorporating such tools in the classroom, such as using smart phones to answer questions, is an excellent way to motivate students to participate as long as students do not take advantage of the opportunity by texting friends and not actively participating in the activity.
-Lauren G.
I agree with a technological approach in the classroom. However, I do not believe that it should be the sole basis of our classroom. Students still need to be knowledgeable in Math, English, Social Studies, and Science subjects. It is true that technology can be incorporated into its instruction but we should not completely get rid of the subjects as a whole. Prensky statement that students need to be taught effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishments is true. These are skills that cannot be taught through technology.
In today's age, technology is everywhere we go and students have access to it everywhere except in the schools. I agree with Danielle B. when she says "teacher’s roles are becoming more of a facilitator instead of a direct source of information. Giving students more responsibility with their learning is also becoming a trend, as students want to research and look information up on their own with their own devices." Technology needs to be incorporated into the classroom and students can show their proficiency in various mediums; let them surprise you. You never know what they will come up with.
Christie M.
I agree with Prensky that we should adapt to the new generation and use of technology in the classroom. Prensky made an excellent point that "we tend to judge the new generation based on our old ideas and beliefs." Although I do feel that we should keep some of the older traditional ways of learning, such as reading from a textbook in the classrooms. We have to accept that technology is taking over. I also agree that although kids are gaining much information through technology we, as teachers will be able to provide things that technology will never be able to, such as "motivation, respect, empathy, and passion."
I also agree with Christie, in the fact that although technology will be a huge growing aspect in education, we should not rid the subjects or neglect the traditional ways of learning. I think that this will be a debatable topic amongst many educators around the world.
To an extent I think Prensky has a valid point. Having our students think creatively and integrating technology into the classrooms to help facilitate that learning is key, and becoming more prevalent. The core subjects thou, his "MESS" subjects shouldn't be left behind. These are still the fundamental subjects that allowed us to advance and create the technologies we currently have the luxury to utilize.
For me, I think that incorporating technology in a variety of instruction strategies, especially for Spec Ed and SS, where visuals can play a big part, will be crucial to my classroom
I truly enjoyed reading this article. While I agree with some points, I definitely disagree with other points throughout the article. There is no doubt that technology is becoming overwhelmingly popular in everything we do. I can't seem to think of anything specific that has not been affected by technology. Whether these various technological advances have been to our benefit or not is debatable. However, I believe that schools do need to adapt and catch up with the current trends in technology, for it can and will change learning for the better. Whether we like it or not, our students are comprised of all digital natives, so it only makes sense to teach them in their native language. I believe teachers who are digital immigrants must learn this new language in order to be effective teachers. There is no doubt that technology is overpowering reading in importance, which I believe is a a problem. Technology gives us an abundance of information very quickly, however, this is not always best. Students need to think, and not have the instant gratification of simply finding the answers on the Internet. Students need to be given opportunities and experiences in the classroom that do not require technology, but rather allows students to inquire and discover without technology. Students must become effective thinkers to know when it is appropriate to use technology and when it is necessary to use our own critical thinking skills. With the overabundance of technology in today's world, this is the challenge we face as teachers today. It is definitely logical that we should prepare our students for the future and teach them effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishments. However, I believe we should teach this new core through traditional core subjects such as math, English, science, and social studies.
I found this article very interesting because I did teach before technology and am now back in the classroom with all these new advances. Technology is now an important part of teaching. There is no substitute for a teachers ability to discuss, reason and modeling but technology tools can enhance a lesson to another level. But, I am total agreement with Prensky that it is the way of the future. It is a great way to enhance all lessons across the curriculum and i like the idea that students would be allowed access to it during a lessson. Also, I like what Prensky and Richardson said "teachers must be learners first, teachers second. They need to model the process of learning for students and show them what intrinsic motivation and creativity look like." This is true for teaching on every level!
I did enjoy reading this article and do agree that technology is an important part of teaching. I dont think it can take the place of a teachers importance. a teacher/ student relationship is essential on so many levels.Students in all grades look to their teachers for guidance, advice, modeling good behavior..these thingcant be taught through technology. But, technology can enhance a lesson and help the students research and discover. Teachers and technology are a great partnership! And teachers should be trained and ready to embrace it in their classrooms.
I found the points in this article very interesting, and found myself agreeing with some and disagreeing with others.
There is no doubt that by the time we are ready to teach in our own classrooms, our student population will be a majority, if not all, digital natives. Technology is changing learning, and definitely for the better. I can see why people are arguing for the allowance of more electronic devices in classrooms, because as Christie said, that's what are students are proficient at. They know how to use these devices to finish their assignments and arrive at the answers they need. In another aspect, like Megan said, technology makes our students more engaged. I think we would all agree that we are more interested and more focused in a class where there is some interactive or technological component, rather than a professor standing still and lecturing, or students reading silently from a textbook.
However, what I disagreed with was how strongly the speaker felt about a move away from the core subjects, or what he referred to as MESS. I think that core knowledge and academic content is not to be ignored by teachers despite the changing climate of education. I believe there is a happy medium to be found, as Lauren mentioned, in incorporating future-cation without eliminating 'MESS.'
After reading this article, I plan to be more conscious in my own classroom of "giving students what technology can't." We need to be more than these students than deliverers of rote knowledge- we serve as their role models, social examples, and moral guides, to a bigger extent than we may realize.
I enjoyed reading this article. I agree with the idea that it is important for teachers include "effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment" in the classroom. We as teachers need to adapt to the new "norm" of society, and in this case the norm is the expansion of technology. Schools should be a place for communication and critical thinking. Teachers can use technology as an aide to have students achieve academically. Teachers have the opportunity to reflect on their own teaching practices and can alter their methods of instruction by using technology as a starting point for having students critically think instead of having students receive information and memorize for a grade. Students cannot rely on technology for doing well in school. Teachers need to show students that even though they can find answers and information through technology, we have the responsibility to teach students how to take that information and put it in their own perspective and have their own opinion. By asking critical thinking questions and challenging questions, teachers and students can learn from each other and can step away from technology and put their own value and thought in class discussions.
I enjoyed reading this article. Both of the presenters in the article made some valid points, however I do agree with one of the points that Jillian K made in her response "Students must become effective thinkers to know when it is appropriate to use technology and when it is necessary to use our own critical thinking skills". I also agree with Jillian's statement "However, I believe we should teach this new core through traditional core subjects such as math, English, science, and social studies". One scenerio that comes to my mind is- what happens if we no longer teach the core subjects and we allow students to just rely on technology and they are in a store and the battery on their device dies, how can they compute things? No matter how far technology takes us, we must continue to use our brains - they are in fact more powerful then the biggest computer and if it is not used what will happen to it? I am a firm believer that the students need to learn the core subjects in a daily functional way.
There were some points I agreed with in the article, but definitely many I did not. Technology is not going anywhere and I think Prensky needs to come to terms with the fact that it isn't. It is evolving and can be extremely beneficial in the classroom. Integrating technology does have its pros and cons, but it is a huge part of students lives outside the classroom, it can be rather useful when used in the facilitation of learning. Teachers will have to constantly learn as well. They will be evolving their lessons as the technology available does as well. Teachers serve as a model to their students, who then can duplicate this constantly growing learning process in their work and performance. To clarify, I do not believe that technology should be the only way a student is to be taught or the only way to learn. Authentic learning, activities and other educational tools are essential too. Students should not solely rely on programs and applications to teach them. There is no true exception to the actual physical classroom.
Katie Risolo
The use of technology has become a very important feature in the classroom. Teachers use technology everyday to take attendance, present lessons, and to show video clips. When I was in elementary and middle school my teachers barely used technology in the classroom. I took notes with a pen and pencil, not by typing them into a computer. With this rise of technology teachers need to become comfortable with it to be able to use it in their classrooms. Since kids love to use technology, it is a great way for them to become engaged in a lesson. Even though there are both advantages and disadvantages of using technology, if it is used correctly it can benefit students greatly.
I totally agree with the idea of having students learn effective thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishments. The technological world has taking students to various learning arenas but can not teach them motivation, respect, empathy, and passion. I think these aspects of learning should be a focus as we should allow technology to do its job when we teach content. When I am a teacher I will ask my students to "surprise me". I will be a teacher researcher and find ways to connect students to information but also how to stabilize them in other life and self-help skills as Prensky mentioned. I am not as tech savvy as I need to be but I will educate myself in order to teach more effectively. I DO NOT wish for books to become obsolete. I will preserve their importance by having my students read just as much as they use their technology. Over all I agree with the main points in the article.I will also be sure to model the process of learning for my students.
-Gina A.
After reading the article “Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World” by Marc Prensky, I had a lot of mixed thoughts. While I agree that teachers should be teaching students how to think, act, and analyze in daily situations, and not just spewing knowledge from textbooks. I disagree with offering unlimited access to technology. While technology can help assist in learning, and allow students to be more interactive in their learning, I believe there has to be a limit. Prensky’s idea to teach students to be effective thinkers, and to thrive from accomplishments is not incorrect. I think that we currently focus too much on academics, that we are forgetting to teach students how to be good people. Rather, the world has become a “my kid did it better” post on Facebook, giving unlimited access to others personal accomplishment, that may leave students feeling under accomplished. If technology and freedom to use cell phones and text during class were implemented, we would begin to loose our personal connections with each other. Overall, I think the use of technology is beneficial in a classroom, as long as it is kept under control and students are still communicating with eachother.
I found this article very interesting. I agree with the area that we need to essentially teach our students on how to become respectful, mindful, empathetic and passionate learners. Today's generation of kids do have this disconnect between education and "why do we learn this, it doesn't matter to me." Students are more and more becoming attached to technology. I also agree that education is more of teaching to the academic than teaching for students to learn that subject area. We have to as future teachers motivate and instill passion in the students.
As for the technology and letting students take out their phones during class, I don't believe that is the right direction. I understand we want to get the students more involved with technology but letting them take out their phones during class will lead to distraction. There's other ways of integrating technology into the classroom.
I found this article to be very interesting. It brought up points which I both agree and disagree with. It is extremely important for schools to be up to date with the latest technology. This is important because in today’s world, kids are becoming more and more tech savvy and a lot of what kids learn at home is done through technology. Since the world we live in today is full of all sorts of new technology, using it in schools will, in my opinion, help improve learning. On the other hand, although today’s world is becoming more and more about technology, it is important to keep in mind that there are also still teachers within schools who were part of the older generation where technology was not used as much. With that being said, since technology is such a huge part of our lives now, everyone should become adapt to it but in doing so, we have to make sure the root of education is not being lost. For example, when using the internet you are able to get information quick and easy without having to read a lot. Reading is extremely important so having children continue to use books for information and have to read on a daily basis is still a great thing. Overall, I do not completely disagree or agree with what Prensky says.
I completely agree with what Gina A. said about not making books become obsolete. While I myself am not as tech savvy as I should be, I know it is important to use it in the classroom but I also know that getting rid of actual books in the classroom is not the best idea. At any given time, a computer can stop working but a book will always be there tucked away on a shelf ready to be used and put to good use.
The article "Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World” was very insightful to the new world of education. Technology has changed our world for the better and integrating it into our classroom is very important as we moved forward. I agree with Marc Prensky that the classroom is changing and teachers should focus more on effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. Teachers need to be resources for students and should be there to motivate, respect, and help students. They need to give students what technology cannot which is an emotional part. Students need to feel like they belong and gain confidence to grow and they won’t get that from technology, they get it from the teacher. I also believe that teachers need to be able to teach students how to use technology properly. I am currently a teacher assistant in a third grade and I was surprised by the lack of technology skills. Most of my students use the technology like iPads and tablets for games and are not proficient in typing or using the internet to find resources. This proved to me that even with all the technology we have in the world today we need to show our students the basics and how we can use this technology to learn and not just for fun. I feel that this approach will affect the way I teach in the future by seeing my job as more as a facilitator and motivator instead of someone importing information to my students. I have seen the role of the teacher in this way before, but when implementing more technology into the classroom I have to fill that void of less human connection in my classroom.
Teaching is most certainly becoming a more philosophical profession and it is up to teachers to connect with their students on a level besides the core subjects. Students these days learn and gain so much from technology it is ridiculous to think that they should be judged by old methods. Yes the MESS subjects, as he refers to them, are important but school should also be about "real world creation and learning". Teachers should be modeling real world problems and appropriate ways to solve them, using their extensive knowledge of technology could also help them with their understanding.
-Michael O'Keeffe
Danielle Collins says...
I agree with March Presnky that we need to incorporate technology more into our day in the classroom. This generation is very different from ones prior, in that, everything they do, they need, is through technology. We need to adapt to meet their needs. Teaching students more about reality, as in relationships, life, jobs, thinking individually is important and not done to the amount that it needs to be. Kids today can do long division, but cant think for their selves.
Liana Heitin's article was an interesting read because it really challenges what being a teacher means. Like in "Free Range Teaching" by Caitlyn Tucker, Heitin favors student-centered classrooms and believes that the role of a teacher is a facilitator. This notion seems to fit the belief of "progressive" teaching to the fullest. These articles have made be think that now is such an interesting time to be becoming a teacher because technology may completely change the profession before I become fully certified. However, I found the embedded tweet on the page stating "Stop asking questions on tests that can be answered by a Google Search" to be quite offensive. Are we supposed to expect less from students just because they have Google available to them? When I was in school we were expected to be able to answer both convergent and divergent questions. I think skipping ahead to divergent questioning will cause the student's overall knowledge to suffer. Even if a Google search happens instantaneously, it doesn't account for the time it takes the student to find a reputable source and understand it. Online infrastructure in the United States is still far from ideal. And what happens if a student visits a foreign country or in another situation where they are unable to access the web? Knowing the answers to these convergent questions allows us to answer those divergent questions whenever we want, not just in a classroom setting or when we have access to the Internet. The reason I want to become a Social Studies teacher is because I think knowing what happened in the past can allow us to make better decisions today but when students are being told to treat the past so carelessly I grow wary. Actually knowing the content instead of simply being able to retrieve it makes a big difference.
“Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World” gives a great overview of Marc Prensky and Will Richardson’s presentations on “Engaging 21st Century Minds”. Prenksy’s idea of changing the focus of our education from core subjects to a new core which he calls futerecation is a fairly radical approach. Richardson explained that this may be the “most disruptive moment in education” and that schools need to adapt for the new connected world. I do agree with both of their views that education needs to be overhauled to connect with the new technological world. Knowing dates and basic information is not as important because it is so easy to just research anything from a phone or tablet at any moment. What is important is that students learn how to think, act, and relate. We as educators need to model these skills and help students learn how to utilize these new technologies to the fullest of their potential. Yet, we also need to give students the chance to as Prensky says “surprise [us]” by giving them more autonomy. Students should have the ability to look up information and find the answers themselves. We as educators must help them utilize this information to make connections with the world around them. In the long run I do believe these skills are essential and this new focus should be implemented into teaching, however, it needs to be aligned with the core subjects in place.
I found the article, Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World, by Liana Heitin, to be extremely eye opening. It is quite dynamic to realize the current and future impact technology has and will have on each students' education. Throughout my teaching experience this year, I have observed that the students' thrive in my classroom when they are able to participate with technology aspects within each lesson. The students' are eager to take the plunge to independently discover and learn new information by exploring technological resources such as the internet, e-books, and more. I do agree that it is essential for students' to absolutely begin to adapt to the new ways in which technology will play a major factor in their future. However, I do feel that continuing the implementation of reading a hard cover book is absolutely important. This year, my students' have grown tremendously in their outlook on reading and how you can learn an abundance of information within one story. There must be a balance, in my opinion, become traditional and futuristic ways of teaching. I absolutely agree that core skills and ideals are not discussed deeply enough to leave an impact on the students'. The students, based on my experiences, struggle more with social skills rather than mathematical concepts. These children are missing the opportunities to learn and understand the importance of socialization, independence, and life skills. Many children struggle to build confidence due to the fact that they are used to having a tremendous amount of support. I believe it is essential for students' to learn at a young age that learning to be independent and to think in different ways is essential for each students' success. I believe that implementing technology into teaching will open many doors to children's learning experiences, which it already has. Technology is the future for many children and allowing them to explore the various ways to learn through the use of technology will support their growth in the future. An aspect of our jobs as teachers is to facilitate the students' learning to ensure the students' are prepared, confident and excited for their future.
I agree with Mark Prensky and Will Richardson that technology needs to be incorporated in the classroom in more effective ways. I believe that using multiple modalities for students to engage and experience learning is important for all teachers to implement in their classrooms. Skills such as thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing are essential skills that students should develop and expand in the classroom. Teachers should be incorporating real-world tasks and examples into the “MESS” subjects in order to teach these skills to their students. Teachers need to model the learning process for their students as Richardson asserts and teach them to be curious and creative learners. As a teacher, I do believe that I am learner first with regard to technology. This year I have learned how to effectively use the Smartboard in my classroom and engage the students in working on the Smartboard as well. Teachers must be proficient in using the technology before instructing their students in using it. I also agree that students should be able to use their electronics and technology in the classroom. My one fear would be that older students may be distracted by social media apps and sites on their phones and other devices which would prevent them from completing tasks and assignments. Utilizing technology in the classroom is imperative for students to develop 21st century skills; however I do believe there should be restrictions placed on what students can access in the classroom. Also, I still believe that reading is an important skill for all students to develop a proficiency in even though students today are using other types of text, like videos, to gain information. I do not agree that reading is diminishing in importance. Reading is a vital life skill all individuals must develop and learn.
While I do feel that many schools do need to incorporate new forms of technology into the classroom to stay current with researching and acquiring knowledge, I tend to disagree with his approach. The new core of: effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment should be emphasized in each lesson and assessment measures with the content information as the main focus. I believe technology has a place in the classroom however that role is secondary to each of the content areas and should never be demoted from that place. Electronic devices are there to assist with learning the MESS (as he calls it) and fill in the gaps from the textbook to the real world. My issue with using electronics in the classroom is students may be easily distracted from the lesson by temptation to use inappropriate sites and social media. This would take away from the purpose of the using the technology and may waste time having to refocus the students on the lesson. I do believe teacher’s role should additionally be to give students what technology can’t, motivation, respect, empathy, and passion as well as model thoughts and guide students to information. The fundamental skill of reading however is still a very important life skill in learning and exploring and should not be diminishing in focus in schools.
Rethinking Teacher Roles in New Networked Role was an article that I can relate to. The quote in the article, "we tend to judge the new generation based on our old ideas and beliefs," is something that goes on in my building at school. My school is going through a process of evolving towards technology. We just re did the wi-fi in the building, put 75 inch flat screen televsions, and apple tv's in each room. Next year each student will revieve an iPad Air 2. Now this is all great, but we have teachers that have been teaching for 40 plus years. Many of these teachers are afraid to use the technology. This is such a foreign concept to them and are apprehensive to incorporating this in their classroom. The bad part about all of this, is they are very quick to judge athe technology and talk about how this is a waste of time and kids need books. THese teachers are trying to compare their lessons and what they use to do in their classrooms to the new technology. It is annoying when the young teachers, like myself, are trying to learn, adapt, and incorporate these lessons into my classroom. The other quote that I loved from this article was, "The main way we understood the world was through reading. The main way today's kids understand the world is through technology." This works well with the previous quote because the "old school teachers" need to understand that kids understand the world through technology. This doesn't just mean computers, it also means video games and television. Kids don't take books out of the library anymore, they understand society through social networking. It's interesting how kids formuale an opinion on current events and politics. This is all due to the technology. Our teachers also need to be the main role and leader of technolgy of the classroom. That is the only way technology will flourish.
Teaching is definitely drastically changing due to new technology every year and I believe that students should be encouraged to utilize this technology because it is the future.I agree with Prensky on how students should be taught effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment because these are all positive traits that will help in the students' future.The questions teachers are asking should not be able to be looked up on google.
Teachers' questions should be of a higher standard in which students need to use critical thinking to answer them.
In a previous post, I wrote that as technology becomes a focal point in society, it also needs to be included more in the classroom. Students are very engaged with technology therefore teachers are given a tool to engage students. Technology is an opportunity that teachers should be using in their classroom. I agree with Prensky idea that we need have students do thing we have never done. In my school district, they added a tech-ed class for students. It is all about computer and device technology. This is an excellent course that teaches students applications and softwares to use in the classroom and in a positive way. I think this shows that we are following the path of technology and effectively adding it to the classroom.
This article describes how technology opens up doors for students for using their creativity. The opportunities are endless. By incorporating technology into the curriculum, it will motivate students to want to learn about everything. It will also help them to use what they learned in the classroom and apply it to the real world. Although I feel that technology should be incorporated into the classroom, teachers will always be needed because students rely on us for teaching, learning, and supporting them. The role of teachers should not change and the teachers can learn about new technologies and use it in the classroom.
After reading this article, I feel that more information is needed in order to gather an effective opinion. I did agree with the idea that teachers roles are now offering "what technology can't". Ex. Motivation, passion, etc. I agree with this 100% because obviously students cannot be fully molded and enlightened with just technology alone. Additionally, like my comment in the previous blog, I believe that technology should certainly be embraced, rather than shunned. However, it must be monitored for specific moments in the classroom. Where the comments regarding the education systems current situation, I don't understand why it is labeled as "a mess" for major subjects like math, social studies and science. These subjects are certainly still needed in the school system and I wish this article divulged further into his opinions, rather than just this one statement.
In the article it says that students learn through technology and they are forced to not use it in school. When in this generation students revolve their daily lives in technology. I feel that our education system as well as experienced teachers are "old school" educators. It is hard to adapt changes and be up to date. Also, the types of professional development needs to change to help teachers implement technology into their lessons. That is why I feel that it is hard to adapt technology into our classrooms without the proper support and guidance. I agree with Giana, that technology can open doors for students to use their creativity. But I also do feel that teachers will be needed for support and to educate students.
While I agree that educators need to be more open minded to embrace technology in the classroom and not run from it, I also feel that we need to find balance within the curriculum. As we know, students have varied learning styles and require manipulative use and interaction with peers to learn with a multi-faceted approach. If we are to encourage technology use, then the tech support teams in schools needs to be 10 steps ahead of the students. I have seen MANY students abuse the privilege of working on tablets and ipads, and finding their way to websites that are inappropriate and filled with vile content. It is all too easy to access the wrong sites, and I have seen tech support striving to keep up. So while I understand what tech expert Will Richardson was trying to convey when he poses the question, "Why is school the only place my kids can't take out the electronics they have in their pockets to answer the questions?", I also believe in the art of conversation, interaction and collaboration. The technology should not act as a supplement for hands on activity, but rather an additional resource to encourage motivation. I believe in all things in moderation. Teachers should definitely continue to learn how to incorporate technology into the classroom, but I think keeping elements of traditional hands on activity is healthy to use in conjunction.
I agree with the article in the idea that this generation of students has a different perspective than the generation before all based on technology. This is not something to be ignored since technology is so rapidly developing today. From the time this generation of students have been born there has always been internet as a means of an informational resource. It is important for us as educators to embrace this informational resource and incorporate new technologies in the classroom. Much like differentiation of instruction, this is the way in which this generation perceives and understand the world around them.I believe it is important for teachers to evolve with technology. I believe it is always necessary for teachers to be present in the classroom in order to be a positive role model for his or her students.
I found this article very interesting, but concerning at the same time. I truly believe in the use of technology for educational purposes, however I find it sad that it is changing the role of the teacher. Technology allows students to gain a perspective that past generations never had, but that shouldn't take away from the connection the students have to the teacher. They shouldn't simply turn into "child psychologists". I strongly agree with Christie about finding a balance in your classroom so that students do not become too dependent on either the teacher or technology. Hopefully this balance will help preserve the role of the teacher in the classroom.
I agree with Prensky that it is important to make our students 21st century learners, but I do not agree with throwing the content of math, science, English, and social studies out the window. Technology is all around us and has come a long way since I was once in high school, but that doesn't mean that should be the center of our teaching and students learning. I think technology is a great strategy and tool to implement in the classroom, but like Christie and Dayna said we need to find a balance. As for Prensky's call for the need of a "new core: effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment" I feel those are great ideas, but they need to be blended in with the original core 4 content areas.
I found this article to be interesting because it seems to be a different view point than other articles regarding technology in the classroom. Although technology across a one generation has boomed there should be a replacement of content area subjects due to technology. I agree with many of the other posts on this article that there needs to be a balance between major content areas as well as technology. Technology can be incorporated during major content areas in order for students to understand curricula in content areas.
I believe that teachers should still be content focused but also add the new core. I cannot say that one way is more successful than the other, I would need more information on the new core. However, I believe that there should not be just one way of teaching, we always have to learn and change things about our teaching. I think that it would cause my future teaching to be less stressful since its not content focused. I also believe that it could help students since its requires thinking than focusing on various topics.
When reading this article, I do not feel the need to “judge the new generation based on our old ideas and beliefs,” due to the fact that classrooms have come a long way and technology in particular has really helped students grow. Children should learn effective thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishments like Prensky stated, however, technology has the inability to teach respect for others and how to collaborate. Children must also develop fine motor skills, which is not something that can be achieved through an iPad. I do not wish for learning out of books should be taken out of classrooms, but there should be a moderation with technology. I do agree with Prensky in that educators must be learners first and teachers second, and in order to model structured lesson, they must learn to do so and also learn of every child’s needs. This is something I plan on doing because I want my future children to learn in various ways and not in one specific way. I want them to “surprise me.”
I disagree that this should be what primary and secondary schools should be all about. However, I do believe in a dual-core system, Combined with what is considered “MESS” and foreign language of course, this could be a very useful and beneficial system as a team. The subjects are important and need to be taught from a teacher in active learning lessons. However, acting, relating and accomplishing needs to be integrated like the common core. These are the skills that will allow students to succeed in all subject areas and in all areas of life. Applying these standards in the subject areas allows students to be competent to apply them in other aspects of their life. They need to be taught as the basis to the subjects and constantly need to be re-enforced, re-visited and built upon. I feel this approach is how I feel about teaching in general. Right now, I teach horseback riding lessons. However, I don’t teach my children just how to ride. I teach them problem solving, communication, perseverance, how to get a job done, planning, thinking critically and reflection. It goes hand-in-hand with riding and goes hand-in-hand with every other subject in life. In my Spanish classroom, I was and will use these principles as the basis and foundation for my teaching, but not lose focus of the subject of Spanish along the way.
There are a lot of different interesting aspects to touch on in this article. First, I wouldn't say that Math, English, Science and Social Studies should be replaced with Prensky's core of effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. I would say that his core should instead complement learning in those subjects. Of course, students need to learn the content in those subjects but it is a matter of how they utilize the resources available in order to learn. I agree with Prensky when he says that visual learning like videos is diminishing how much kids read today. That is certainly a problem so there needs to be a balance when it comes to using technology. I agree with Richardson when he says students should be able to use their phones or tablets to help them answer questions. But they also need to learn the tried and true research methods that I did as a student. Going to the library and searching for a relevant book and reading it still has value especially in regard to enhancing reading comprehension skills, which believe it or not is still important.
What I learned from the article, is that Marc believes that schools should first focus on having students thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing. Then, teachers should worry about teaching the core subjects. I agree with Marc’s approach and I don’t think it will affect the way we teach now and in the future. Teachers currently have all four core concepts in their curriculum. The thinking stage is when the students turn and talk to their partner, or when the teacher asks the students to reflect. The acting stage is when the student becomes involved in the lesson by actively participating by doing work in their workbook or acting out a scene from a play. Teachers relate their lessons to the students’ everyday situations. For example, using a pizza pie and relating it to fractions. Lastly, teachers measure whether students are accomplishing their goals by using the following criteria; are the students understanding the material fully and does it show in their grades?
I do agree with Prensky. Many schools and teachers are not technologically advanced. Even when I was in elementary school, technology was never utilized. We learned through reading and teacher direction. New generation students love technology. We should combine learning and technology in an operative way. I feel that technology (when not used correctly), is lowering children’s social skills. Their eyes are glued to iPads and video games! Teachers need to be educated to understand how they can adequately use technology to motivate children in the classroom. Children have so much potential to grow and learn. We should let them use the right tools to guide and motivate them to succeed.
If technology was more readily available in my classroom, I would use it at appropriate times. One of the main ways I would utilize technology is as a reward for positive behavior and work. In addition, I would like students to use technology to simply have the desire to learn more about a particular topic. They should be given the leeway of how they want to learn and at what pace they want to learn. When used correctly, technology can be the answer!
The article, which is describing a talk, which is apparently about some books by the author, suffers from the typical shortcomings common to “revolutionary” technology-based pedagogical approaches.
While the fields of media and commerce have evolved and adapted to, and in many was shaped, the development of technology, education for the most part remains in a more developmental stage with regard to the integration of technology. Time and again it seems that there are numerous technological tools that are employed almost for their own sake, and as a result, the adoption of technology in education is stunted and resisted in large part because teachers are trained in the use of technology, but not in effective ways to use it to enhance learning.
Marc Prensky is adept at, like a skilled advertising executive, coining some catchy and evocative buzzwords and phrases. A little research turns up several instances of his terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant.” These terms are meant to describe the rift between how current educators and their students view and approach technology, with luddite teachers resistant to the advent of a digitally “comfortable” population of students with learning styles that reflect a more digitally connected culture.
To me this smacks of an old man on his porch talking about “kids today.” In fact, I don’t really believe that there is any marked difference in underlying learning styles of students today as compared to when I was in school, or my parents were, or their parents were. True learning is born of questioning and inquiry. If anything, certain aspects of that learning have been streamlined, and maybe kids today do have it easier in some ways. He does in my opinion hit the nail on the head when he speaks of “asking questions that cannot be answered by Google”, but to discount the value of having a world of knowledge at one’s fingertips reflects an incomplete understanding of the value of technology. A question that cannot be answered by a Google search will likely benefit from several stepwise “Google searches” to answer questions of how to answer questions.
His insistence on a “new core” of education based upon inquiry is laudable, but also doomed, in the face of the current zeitgeist of common cores and universal standards. There is no way that the current educational policymakers would be willing to flip over the table and start anew, throwing out the “MESS”-based curriculum (nice buzzword) and replacing it with a self-directed open curriculum as suggested. Certainly elements of such a curriculum can and should be part of every modern teachers pedagogical approach, but the complete “open” curriculum approach championed by Prensky belies his position as one of a person who is not a teacher “in the trenches” so to speak. A certain type of student would certainly benefit from his proposed approach, but many student are simply not ready, intellectually or developmentally in regards to maturity and self-discipline, to be released of a more structured curriculum enhanced by technology rather than driven by it.
I still find that the most useful implementations of technological tools have come from either my own inquiry-based learning into how to effectively enhance my teaching, or from working with and exchanging ideas with other actual, practicing teachers, rather than “experts in technology.”
Giovanna Bove
Blog Reflection #4
I do not agree with Marc Prensky’s approach because although a lot of information can be found on the internet, that doesn’t mean a child will understand what they’re listening to/reading. A textbook can tell a student the same exact information but that doesn’t mean they fully comprehend the material.
If we stopped teaching “MESS” in the classroom, that would mean the students would have to teach the material to themselves and it would cause some students to fall behind. Although the internet and technology is a great resource for teaching, it does not mean we should stop teaching core curriculum. Instead we should integrate it into our classrooms in order to help the process of learning.
I also disagree with his statement “reading is diminishing in importance” because in order to succeed in this world you have to read. Whether it’s a letter, brief, book or any other source of literature- you have to read in order to be knowledgable in your work field. Any successful person in today’s society was able to get to where they are because of reading.
This approach would affect my teaching because I would not have the same relationship with my students. Technology and computers should not be replaced by humans because it can not provide everything a human interaction can. As stated above, although a computer can spit information out to me, that does not necessarily mean I’ll fully comprehend what it is saying. I agree with Mike Altruda who commented- we need to use technology to enhance our classrooms not drive it.
Its a known fact that teaching is changing drastically, 45 min. class lectures are turning into interactive learning experiences. Prensky's approach to stop the "mess", in my opinion, is a little to far fetched. Students still need the core subjects. Although some of the stuff cannot be used in real world experiences students still need to learn the basic principles of a school setting and of basic competency. Plus if students sat in front of the computer 6 hours a day, there would be a lack in social development, human interaction would become null and void. The post above ends with a great line " we need to use technology to enhance our classrooms, not drive it." Perfect line. As an educator I do not agree with Prensky's plan fully. We still need the "mess" in our schools with just a little enhancement.
This article was very interesting. I do not agree, however, that we should not focus on Math, English Science and Social Studies. These are still the important core subjects that students need. There needs to be a balance between these subjects and technology. The statement, “reading is diminishing in importance" is very scary to me. If students are not reading to gather and learn information, they will eventually lose their thirst for reading for pleasure. What I do like in this article is the idea of telling students to “surprise me”. Giving students the power and independence to create and to use their own ideas and getting away from rote instruction is a way to put students in charge of their education.
Gabriel Ramos said....
As a current full time teacher in a classroom filled with digital natives and 21st century minds, I found this article particularly interesting. Students today understand the world through the technology they use. This creates a more sophisticated student with very high classroom expectations. I agree with the final quote that states that as teachers we need to become learners first, and teachers second. As educators we must remain relevant with technology and the implications that it has on our students. We must realize that 21st century students expect more from our current generation of teachers.
The circumstances discussed in this article seem to be the ones that I and many other teachers have been preparing for in the classroom. Yes, our students will be inclined to learn and create through technology and a migration of school curriculum to this platform makes complete sense, but to say that the merit of reading is diminishing is silly when we see students struggle to answer the standardized questions the state expects them to understand because they are unable to understand the nuance of their sentence structures. As a disclaimer, I don't plan on teaching English primarily, but I do see its importance in all subjects. Literature shows how print text is still not only valid but needed because it is presented with intent and inherently teaches its readers how to find the intent of a written passage.
The current core subjects of education relate to one another naturally and by encouraging students to take what they learn and apply it to creation and application in accordance with the 21st century mindset, we are inherently teaching Prensky's new core. While I do believe that his concepts are valid, the radical change he is looking for is still far enough away that the alterations Common Core and teachers on the whole are using in their approach suffices in preparing students to become intuitive members of society as Prensky intends with his new core.
I agree with Maureen Hamilton-Pugliese in how frightening the author's thoughts on the importance of reading. If students, who many times have lower reading levels, continue to regress in reading comprehension and writing, the future generation will have a very difficult time after school. However, I do agree with the author in the importance of making students ready for the "real world," especially when it comes to technology. Students should be creators and doers when it comes to schooling, not just mere passive learners.
This article was a very interesting article in the sense that it talked about a personal philosophy that I have. I truly believe that we are shifting, very quickly, into a different technological society. 5 years ago we had laptops and ipods and things like that, but today we all have iphones or androids that work just as well as any computer does. Educators, and students have almost every piece of information at their fingertips, which is something that we did not have a few years back. You can access almost any website or and game, basically anything in just seconds. The article stated that this was not going away, and I totally agree. There is no way that technology is going to digress, and there is no reason why we should start telling students that they cannot use the technology that they already have to help guide them to finding out the important answers that they are looking for.
After reading this article, I do agree with Pensky. Many teachers who have been teaching for many years do not incorporate technology into their lessons and classrooms as much as they should. When they began teaching, technology in the classroom was not as important or common as it is now. Today, many children are accustomed to using technology because that is what they use at home and at times their excessive use of technology at home can effect their socialization skills at school. If teachers expose their students to technology and different educational apps on the iPad, children may bring this information home and start using their iPads for more of an educational purpose. In the article, it was mentioned that technology is not going away and it is true. If anything, technology is growing more and more.
This article continues to dive deeper into the inevitable fact of technology becoming more and more important in the classroom. The quote "Surprise Me" is a much more telling and deep saying than meets the eye. This saying symbolizing the teacher passing the torch from teacher to learn. This gives the student a new level of trust and allowance of creativity which they have never received in the past. I thought it was interesting when it was mentioned in the article that "Students will not put up with these sorts of impractical technology limitations much longer". Although sometimes a cellular device can be a distraction at times, there is a much higher upside than downside. The sources and applications that are available via cell phone are far more valuable than limited technology in the classroom. As educators we need to put a little more trust into our students and try to tune down our egos just a little bit in order to share control of the classroom. Students need us to be "brilliant" but only after technology is incorporated fully.
Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World was a very interesting article. As I read the article I really began to think about technology and how much it influences the students in the classroom. In the beginning it discusses how the kids understand the world is through technology. It is true, so much of our students time once they leave school is spent on cellphones, I-pads, video games, and computers. The students are constantly interacting with technology. The role of the teacher is to give the students what technology can't, which I think is the perfect way to describe what teachers do in the classroom. Throughout the article it constantly discusses how the role of the teacher needs to change. I would love to learn how to change the way the students think using technology to guide them through the learning process.
After reading the article I agree with Prensky’s approach. Our new generation of students uses technology outside the classroom everyday, so why not allow them to use the same technology in the classroom? Teachers learning how to use the technology their students’ use will help them understand students’ way of thinking and learning. I also agree that a teacher is there to guide, motivate and influence students in a way that technology cannot. Times are changing and showing our students how to effectively think, create effective; productive relationships, and teach them how to effectively take action and effectively accomplish goals, many of our students will be successful outside the classroom. As teachers, we are preparing our students to be successful in the real outside world and teaching them how to be effective and productive is one way to accomplish this goal.
I definitely agree with Marc Prensky and Will Richardson’s approach to teaching a new generation of students. Prensky spoke to students about how they would benefit from receiving leeway in the tools they use while learning and completing different tasks. Micromanaging has become a way of teaching students and I think that this approach will provide students to learn the same content, and more, in their own personal way.
To me, technology in the classroom would positively affect the way I teach. In the future, the more technology I am able to use in my classroom, the more student success I believe I will see. My students love to talk about their iPads and tablets, but they don’t see it as a learning tool yet. I believe that showing students how these things they use everyday outside of school, can also be used in school, would benefit their learning outcomes in all content areas. Not only will students be able to personalize their learning, but they will also truly enjoy learning and continue to learn on their own.
I agree that the role of a teacher in the classroom is changing due to the capabilities of new technology. Teachers should be taught how to take a step back and allow their students to benefit from what technology has to offer. Prensky says that today's students are so apt to using technology outside of the classroom, so why not allow them to use these tools in the classroom. I think that the more comfortable a student feels with the materials he or she is given to work with, the better his or her work will be. That being said, students who are used to the way new technology works could be more intrigued and engaged in learning through that way. Personally, throughout my schooling, classrooms were not as technologically advanced as they are today. My view of being a teacher is that of an educator standing in the front of the room giving notes and worksheets, and I think that will be a work in progress to change the mindset of current teachers and newer teachers who have not had a big technological experience when they were students themselves. I definitely embrace the new technology and hope to learn how to use it all to its full potential to help my students succeed.
I found this article to be very interesting. I agree with Marc Prensky and Will Richardson's approach to a new type of learning. Technology today has so much to offer to children of all ages. In my classroom, I received an OSMO for an ipad. The OSMO comes with educational games that are interactive without even having to touch the iPad. It has a mirror/camera that shows whatever is underneath it onto the iPad. I use the OSMO to reinforce reading and math skills in small groups. Although it can be difficult for teachers to take a step back and allow technology to be the main factor in the classroom, it is essential for today's students.Technology also offers a more interesting approach for children. They can choose different methods of learning and use it in a way that works for them. Being a kindergarten teacher, I know personally how important technology is for daily use. There is not a day where I don't use my smart board for my students. They love to come up and interact with it. One of the comments I read at the end of the article talked about how students still need to learn in person from a book. I can also see where that commenter was coming from, but I believe there is a way to learn certain content even through technology.
Commenting on Kim's Post:
Kim, I completely agree that it will be a work in progress to change the mindset of current and newer teachers. It can be difficult to change the ways you teach. Many teachers base their teaching off of what they learned in school and technology wasn't always as prevalent as it is now. I also agree that students may be more intrigued within their learning if different forms of technology were readily available to use. I hope to be able to use technology more as well throughout my teaching!
I do agree with his approach of thinking, acting, relating and accomplishing being the main focus. Like stated in the article, this approach will prepare students to perform in a way we never have before. Looking at my teaching approach in my current classroom, we often encourage students to think and relate to someone else’s thoughts but we never teach them to act out on their thoughts and take action. Too often students have great ideas and thoughts that are not put into action and fulfilled. When teaching from this point on I plan to point out accomplishments more and encourage the students to share their accomplishments with others. I also plan to implement more project-based learning projects where students will use technology to develop a project that they can put into action whether in the school or into the community.
Marc Prensky makes some valid points about the use of technology and its use in the classroom. However, I do not agree with some of his beliefs. Technology has its place in the classroom and should enhance a child’s learning experience, not replace it. I especially disagree with his viewpoint about discontinuing core content “MESS” as he calls it. These are foundational subjects and other disciplines are built upon these. They are tried and true subject areas that even the greatest scholars have benefited from an education of such. Effective thinking, effective action or effective relationships are not attained if children are allowed to use technology more proficiently or at their own free will. Children need to interact with one another to develop their social skills. They need to be engaged in classroom activities, which will stimulate their creative minds and infuse critical thinking. I also believe that children need to read. This is another tried and true concept. Reading builds a child’s comprehension skills and allows them to be analytical, while articulating their viewpoints verbally or in writing. If children are to further their academic journey they must be able to navigate through textbooks, magazines or even online media for the purpose of research. Reading will never be outdated phenomena. In the article Will Richardson also highlights his frustrations on the issue of his child not being able to bring their own technology. I agree that children should be able to bring their own device to school. However, the teacher has to decide how and when to use it. Giving children too much liberty will result in not just chaos but rebellion. It is a teacher’s responsibility to effectively manage the classroom. I believe that teachers should utilize technology to enhance the curriculum and make learning fun and exciting. The key roles of educators are to provide students with a solid, thorough structured education, which will allow them to embark upon other academic endeavors.
Mr. Prensky makes a few good points on implementing more technology in the classroom. I do agree that technology is very beneficial to both the students and the teachers. I also agree with him when he talks about effective thinking, effective action and so on but I do not agree that it should be our new core. Prensky believes "MESS" should no longer be our core and I couldn't disagree more. I believe math, english, science, and social studies are all important subjects students should be learning in class. I also disagree with Prensky where he says that students should be able to take out their devices to look up information just as they do at home. I believe that these devices are a distraction for students. Personally whenever I take out my phone or iPad to look something up, I end up on some sort of social media site or respond to text messages/emails. I believe if we allow students to take their devices out during class time we will loose the attention of our students and will waste valuable teaching time trying to get the students to refocus. I do believe that if you set up an activity where you allow students to use their devices to aid them it will be beneficial to the students and will not waste class time.
I agree with Corrine where she says technology should enhance a child's learning and not replace it. I also agree with her that math, english, science, and social studies are a foundation for students. Students need to be exposed to all different types of material within these subjects to find out what they enjoy as well as expand their knowledge.
Marc Prensky makes great points about the use of technology in the classroom. He states, "The main way we understood the world was through reading. The main way today's kids understand the world is through technology." While using technology does involve reading, he argued, kids are increasingly using other types of texts—like video—to gain information and "reading is diminishing in importance." I both agree and disagree with this statement. I agree with it because I do believe technology is a huge part of learning in today's teaching but I do not think it is the only way to teach children. I think technology is a great tool to use in the classroom and it does enhance students learning but it is not the only tool in the classroom that is useful. Children should interact with other students and use hands on stimulating materials and activities! Students learn by doing and when students are working together with other students it enhances the learning environment as well as their social skills with their peers. I do agree that Marc Prensky and Will Richardson's approach to a new type of learning is very useful. Technology is used every day in the classroom and helps all types of learners all ages. It allows students to be engaged and interested in learning because most students enjoy and know how to use technology. There are plenty of different methods and applications you can implement in the classroom through the use of technology. For me I work at a school for Autism and I currently have 5 non-verbal children in my class. The only way my students are able to communicate is through technology. They use their Ipads to communicate and request what they want. For students who are unable to speak or express their needs through speaking they need technological tools to be able to learn on a daily basis.
Allison Schmidt
I think Marc Prensky and Will Richardson make some very good points in this article. However, I am split on my opinion. I do believe that technology should be used more in the classroom, because it is such a major part of our world today, and students are growing up and learning with various types of technology surrounding them. It also causes engagement, hands-on, and fun learning. It should definitely be used as a tool to enhance learning, and teachers need to be taught and be willing to learn how to effectively use it in order to best meet the students’ needs. However, I also believe that they are wrong in saying that “reading is diminishing in importance”. Yes, there are some technologies and/or apps that are used to help students read. However, they also need to continue to learn how to read by using tangible pieces of writing such as books, articles, poems, textbooks, etc. I also don’t believe that what they refer to as “MESS” should be eliminated from what is taught. But I do believe that technology can be heavily implemented into lessons when teaching these subjects. I also agree with their point that students could be given more of a “leeway in the tools they use to complete learning tasks”, however, there needs to be a well-planned classroom management system in place for students using their own devices in school. Students should be given more of a leeway to work on their own or in groups, whether that includes technology or not, and the teacher just simply guiding them through the process, but not just instructing. But in the same breath, too much technology and not enough teacher led lessons, can diminish students’ social skills and less class/student discussions in school.
I use some form of technology every day in my classroom, whether it be the smart board, the laptops in our computer lab, or a math skill hand-held game I have. The more access I get to technology, the more I try to use it and will continue to try to use it in order to engage my students in learning.
I agree with Marissa. I believe allowing students to take out their own device whenever they want during class time can cause many distractions to students. I think there should either be some type of heavily enforced classroom management system for this policy, or students can only use the technology provided to them from the teacher/school. Just like Marissa said, students can get off track and instead of researching, or reading, or engaging in a learning game, they could end up on an app or website they should be not using at that time.
I'm for technology in the classroom, It's a way for the student to learn and enhance their skills later in life. Technology should be part of a classroom to keep the interest of learning toward the student and making it fun for them in the process. I believe we need to incorporate all subject but also, we need to train teachers so we can be better at helping out the student on how to use this great technology world. Technology will be benefit for younger children and children with special needs. But the question is this how much time do us teacher have to implement technology when we have to prepare these children for the state test all the other subject go out the door. I do agree with Allison about using their cell phone is a distraction and can be misused and that student should learn how to read not only with technology only but teaching them using books and article they should be a balance with both
My favorite quote from this article was: "In light of abundant technology and access to information, he said, the role of the human teacher is now "to give students what technology can't—motivation, respect, empathy, and passion." Those aspects of a teacher are those in which cannot be replicated by machine. I thought it was so interesting how the articles talks about technological devices in schools as the only places where children cannot take out their phones or whatnot to help them solve a problem. It is very true in the sense that technology is with us all the time; we have to learn how to incorporate it into the classroom in a respectable, meaningful, beneficial way to learning. I agree with Jennifer's point when she discusses how beneficial technology can be to younger children and children with special needs. The advances technology has made to help children with special needs is something which I don't think we could have imagined years ago.
I agree that technology in the classroom is positive for both the teacher and student. Additionally, I agree with the idea that the teacher should be empathetic and a motivator, which is how technology can be useful. Technology can allow teachers to differentiate and help engage students with learning. Also, technology is part of the everyday lives of people today. Whether you are a student or adult, everyone uses technology in some way. Therefore, I agree that technology should be included as a tool for learning in the classroom. If teachers are to prepare students for 21st Century skills then technology should be included. However, I do not agree with the idea that Math, English, Science and Social Studies (MESS) should be taught separately. There are specific reading and writing skills that are connected to these specific areas; but there could be a culminating project to include all. of these subjects Also, I feel teachers should not take a back seat to technology, I believe they should work with technology not for it.
Response to Jennifer:
I agree that there are many benefits to technology and technology can really help kids with special needs. Also, the use of technology can help students with future careers. Many careers and jobs use technology; therefore, technology should be part of students everyday curriculum. Especially, with students that have special needs. There are many apps and tools that can assist students with understanding and learning the content and standards that is needed to graduate and prepare them for a career and job.
Technology is constantly changing everyday life and the way that people interact. Life in the classroom is changing due to this as well. Prensky’s idea of digital immigrants and digital native directly applies to teaching. While many teachers may be digital immigrants, many students are digital natives. In order for teachers to continue to engage students and relate to students, it is important that teachers continue to stay knowledgeable and updated with technology as it arises. Technology is continuing to advance and Prensky’s idea of “futurecation” is very important as this occurs. Content is important, but the idea of “futurecation” is more about applying content knowledge and using it to develop critical thinking skills that can be used in everyday life and in real life situations. Technology opens many doors for students to enrich their education with the help of teachers and by themselves. Technology is allowing teachers and students the opportunity to take education and learning to the next level.
I agree with Jennifer's post about using technology for all subject areas. I also think that it is very interesting how she thought about how the use of technology would benefit special education students. I think that students who have learning disabilities could use technology as an extra support in learning. Technology could be used as an interactive way to get these students actively involved in learning. It could also provide additional interactive activities that will enforce student learning. This would be helpful to students with disabilities, but also all general education students as well.
Prensky states "The main way we understood the world was through reading. The main way today's kids understand the world is through technology." I completely agree with this statement because I think that as educators, we must be able to adapt and teach to benefit each student as the society grows. It is important that educators and students grow with the society. I believe that the use of technology opens up many doors for students inside and outside of the classroom. Technology can lay the foundations for the future careers of students. Technology not only benefits typical students but special education students as well.
I completely agree with this article. Richardson said "Teachers must be learners first and teachers second". The teaching world, like the technology world is constantly changing. If teachers stop learning and familiarizing themselves with the technology their students are using, then they are doing a disservice for their students. Students learn through technology today, so if teachers are not up to date on what technology is available to enhance student learning, then students are not gaining everything they can from their teacher. It is our job to expose learners to everything that is available. Technology is extremely beneficial to students with disabilities to make learning interactive and to find applications that can enhance their learning. It is also good for extra support for student learning in Language Arts and Math.
I agree with Allison. Students need some type of management when using their devices. They are an amazing asset to have in the classroom, but can also be a distraction. If there are guidelines in the classroom as to what apps they can go on, or a set time to use the devices, a classroom can function more smoothly. I worked in a school that had Genius Hour, where students were allowed to bring their own device and research and explore topics that they were interested in and could further create on their own. This is when technology has its benefits. Students were creating their own levels of games and new inventions that could really broaden their horizons technologically. As long as there are guidelines, technology in the classroom is a great asset for reading, writing, math, science, and all over exploration.
I agree with this article to a certain extent. My favorite part was where he said "teachers must be learners first". Instead of teachers just dictating information to our students, we have to learn the new technology so we can keep up with our students. He's right when he says that in today's world, students can look up almost anything on their phone. I do still think that students should learn how to do things for themselves, but we also need to teach them how to learn and be motivated. We also need to ask more questions that they would not be able to simply search on google; we need to ask questions that make students think. I have already been trying to implement technology more into my own classroom. I sometimes allow students to use their phones to look up information that way I can focus on the important questions such as why it works and how certain math procedures are useful. I agree with Allison in that students need to be managed to a certain extent when using technology. Students need to be guided in using technology in the right way to be an asset to the learning experience.
I agree with this article. The world that we live in is evolving tremendously, especially with technology. As teachers we need to be able to adapt ourselves to get on the same level as our students.If teachers are unfamiliar with technology then it is the teacher who is going to feel "lost" not the student. Teachers need to educated and continue to provide information for the students to learn. Some student's are visual learners so watching a video will help them succeed. I do think that reading and writing however is still very important. Across all aspects in life you need to be able to read. If student's are using their phones to look up information they are still learning because they are researching and searching for the answer. It is not as if the answer is given right to them. I agree with the statement "Using technology for self-directed learning "is not an option—this is not whole language or new math—this is here to stay." Technology is not going anywhere so as teachers it is out job to become more informed about what it out there and how we can involve technology into our daily lessons rather than taking it away.
I also agree with this article 100%. The students of today are heading into a future that is beyond what the basic math, English, science, etc. classes are providing. If a student want to know about Ancient Egypt all they have to do is type it in google and spend an hour surfing through material and they will learn what is taught in 2 weeks in a classroom. The focus of the classroom today needs to be on what to do with an abundance on information. How can they use their resources to their advantage? How can they tell the difference between good sources and bad sources? The teacher's role today is much different. We are no longer information providers, we are teaching students to decipher information, criticize and question it, and create something new from it. Technology has changed the way we live our everyday lives, why wouldn't it change the inside of the classroom?
While I do agree with this article, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this new age of technology is a good thing first and foremost. Students use of technology to do research and find answers will assist them in their learning. Teachers must be held to a high standard of learning the technology so they are comfortable in their role as educators and schools need to provide teachers with training opportunities. I agree 100% that reading has diminished in importance. Therefore, teachers need to navigate this reality and create ways to engage students and give them direction while encouraging them to simply read.
-Lisa Kellachan
I agree with this article. As a person who was born with technology ever changing, I noticed there were things I was able to do that people older than me couldn't. Even now, my students who were born before me, although might not have the knowledge I have about things, can figure out how to do things on their phones and other technology that I did not know was possible. Even though it is a positive thing, I feel it can also be negative for students. Students will read less, finding ways to get information through various search engines. In my experience, students also do not know how to cite and often times plagiarize.
The more I teach, the more I realize how restrictive my schooling was. I used technology at home and after school, but I wouldn't dare take my phone out during class for fear of punishment. Now, I notice I have been teaching the same way. When I am teaching I want my students' sole focus to be on math. I want to eliminate any other distractions, including the technology they use every other second of the day. Rather than finding ways to ensure students use technology correctly and to benefit their education, schools have been avoiding it. In doing so, schools have been taking away from the learning experiences of their students. As a result, some students are unaware of the many different opportunities available to them and are blindsided when they enter the real world. I agree that a curriculum change needs to be implemented in which schooling is more applicable to real life.
Ultimately a teacher’s goal is to help their students grow. It is important for educators to be able to adapt with the new age. While I agree with this article, I still believe that it is important to for teachers to utilize all the tools available. Students should have opportunities where they are allowed to use technology freely. It provides them with the chance to be responsible and an active participant in their learning. I believe that it important that at times, teachers remember to be a facilitator instead of a direct source of information. Maintaining the balance of teaching strategies and providing multiple ways in which students achieve success helps make a great classroom.
Teaching styles and classrooms have changed through the introduction of new technologies. Technology has opened many doors for students who maybe didn’t grasp a concept one way, but can in another. I constantly rely on technology to teach my students everyday lessons in Social Studies and English. There was a time period where my Smart Board was being fixed for a month, and I actually thought to myself “How am I going to teach now?!”. It took me a while to sit down, and actually process how to teach my lessons with the good old pen, paper, dittos, and chalk board. It was funny, but it was actually where my teaching came alive. I acted silly more, I would use different tones of voice, I had my students acting out lessons more often…they loved it! When my Smart board was finished I was relieved, however I used the skills I learned and applied them with technology. I agree with the author that teaching effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, effective accomplishments, thinking, acting, and relating ideas to everyday life is so much more important in the classroom than strictly the set common core curriculum. To teach self-reliance, good character, and self-confidence is my goal as a teacher, and if technology can help me achieve that then I am on board.
Rethinking Teacher Roles In A New Networked World is probably the best blog that I have read thus far. This is because the blog answers the important question, "What is a teacher's role in our current classroom?" The article says that a teacher is responsible for giving t student what technology cannot. Some of these things are empathy, motivation, and passion. Technology has a lot of excellent strengths that can help impact a student positively. One thing that it cannot do is deliver human interaction. Therefore, technology and teachers must work together hand in hand. The article also explained that teachers must be learners first, teachers second. If they are able to deliver this, then students will have an easier time succeeding and comprehending the material need to learn in class.
Rethinking Teacher Roles In A New Networked World is probably the best blog that I have read thus far. This is because the blog answers the important question, "What is a teacher's role in our current classroom?" The article says that a teacher is responsible for giving t student what technology cannot. Some of these things are empathy, motivation, and passion. Technology has a lot of excellent strengths that can help impact a student positively. One thing that it cannot do is deliver human interaction. Therefore, technology and teachers must work together hand in hand. The article also explained that teachers must be learners first, teachers second. If they are able to deliver this, then students will have an easier time succeeding and comprehending the material need to learn in class.
I absolutely agree with this approach and truly relate to every word in the article. As a 4th grade teacher, I know for a fact that only a handful of my students will be able to really internalize the math concepts I teach them and do well on the test. This is not because the other students are not smart, it is because of the way it is taught and presented to them. What my students do remember and excel in is conversations, collaboration, projects, being creative, and using technology to learn. These are the things that need to have a great emphasis in school instead of making sure I can get 32 kids to memorize the area formula to pass a test. I think this will affect the way I teach in the future because I use the ways Heitin talks about the ways students should be learning in school and that kid will be o.k. without us, but brilliant with us. I think this is so true and with all of the technology students have at their fingertips, teachers need to adapt their way of teaching to meet this new age of learning. I agree with Michael that this is an amazing blog. Teachers should be learners first and always growing with the changing times and the students.
I agree with the basis of this new approach, but I do not agree with everything that was said in this article. For example, the comment about how teachers are in the classroom these days just to give students what technology cannot is demeaning to our profession. Yes, technology is ever-changing and giving students new ways to learn and express their thoughts and ideas, but what about all the other ways to present material to students that does not require technology? I fell in love with learning and teaching before technology became ever-present in the classroom. To this day, I remember hundreds of projects, lessons, and activities that did not require the use of a SMART Board, iPad, or even a computer. I still believe that children can be motivated to learn and set goals the same way I did while growing up—without technology. On the other hand, I do understand how vital of a role technology is playing in the classroom so I will not lose sight of this reality. Overall, as an educator, it is my job to help my students learn the best way possible, so if that means using technology, then that is what I will do; however, if that does not seem to be working, I will not hesitate to return to the “old-fashioned” way.
I really loved this article. Despite the increasing use of technology, the teacher's role is still just as important. Liana Heitin states that with the constant integration of technology, reading it becoming less important in a child's everyday life. I must admit that this was a little off- putting and upsetting, but as I continued to read, I agreed with where her opinion was going. I agree that teachers are becoming more like psychologists. I know that in the past, I've had a few teachers who I trusted and who I felt genuinely cared about me. I was able to open up to these adults and they were able to guide me through my high school years. Some of these teachers are still keeping in contact with me! As a NYC teacher now, I realize the importance of connecting with my students and providing them with a safe space to be themselves and express their feelings and thoughts. It is crucial for a teacher to have a classroom set up where students can feel at home. Teachers' new jobs are focused more so on provided students what technology can't: Emotional and social support, and common respect.
Teachers should be letting the students use modern technology in the classroom. If they are Googling something on their phones at home, they should be able to do the same in school. It's just a new wave of learning styles. Teachers should encourage students to try their best and to channel their energy into their education. If technology, specifically devices, is forbidden, it will turn kids off from the classroom. It is important for teachers to be vulnerable also. It's okay to let a student know that you are struggling with something- like technology- and they can help you! It creates a more positive learning environment. Set the example for the students that they should be asking others for help when needed, and that they can provide information and help others too.
I believe Prensky's approach to teaching using his core curriculum of effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment would substantially help students in the classroom. I believe at educators, it is important to give students the tools they will need outside of school. School should be viewed as an environment in which students grow to be better, smarter human beings for the future. In my opinion, school today has become overrun with state test and anxiety for students, teachers, and parents. The focus of school has shifted away from the children and has swayed towards testing results. Prensky's approach using the new core would provide students a better education where they learn to think for themselves and collaborate with others. With Prensky's core, the students are held at a much higher standard where they are told to find their own answers and problem solve. Problem solving a vital skill students should learn for their future. One point Prensky makes which I do not agree with is that the MESS is not needed. I think students need math, English, science, and social studies in school. Through these subject students learn about the world around them. These subjects do not just provide facts for students, but more so lessons in which can be applied to their lives. These lessons will shape their futures into smart free thinking adults. Ultimately, this idea of getting students ready for their future is what Prensky is after, but the loss of math, English, science, and social studies should not be taken out of the equation.
I think schools are working towards implementing more effective thinking, action, relationships, and accomplishment in their instruction, or the “new core,” as Marc Prensky calls it. However, as Tara pointed out, I don’t think that schools have to rely solely on the integration of technology to achieve it. People have been able to put on a play, demonstrate a scientific theory, and have a thoughtful book discussion, all which require higher order thinking skills, without the use of technology. In addition, this article seems to assume that technology is always used properly in the classroom, which the first article, “The Key to Making the Shift to Active Learning (And Why Technology is Not Enough),” had pointed out is not the case. Schools are finding it difficult to just incorporate technology in a meaningful way in their lessons. Although students today may understand the world through technology, that does not necessarily mean they know how to use it properly to facilitate their learning. Therefore, there is a lot of work that needs to be done before students can be trusted to use technology when they see fit. If more time is given in school to help students acquire technology skills and more resources are available, I do see myself incorporating technology to create a more active learning environment. However, that will not be the only way I intend to challenge my students to think more critically.
Prensky makes some really great points about transitioning the way we teach. It is improtnat that we are keeping up with the world around us. This means we need to teach kids raw skills they can take into the real world. There are some fault in that the MESS is definitely still required but on a lower level. I think a proper way to approach education would be grades k-7 are MESS based, Grade 8 is evaluative and Reflective to learn about the students and finding areas they desire to study or work, and then 9-12 could focus on the "effective learning" he discussed being applied to the student's specialty.
I think Nicole nailed it on the head. Tap into their real world needs and skills, not harking on things that will be trivial for them in the future.
Blogspog is a Buggy program and clearly has flaws. I replied to this post multiple times before it became visible to others. I shouldn't have to rewrite my work or specifically save my work because the system is bugged. We should have systems and programs we use that are reliable, ESPECIALLY in our Technology Class!
Interesting article to say the least. I starting thinking about education system and one dilemma is the textbooks that we will not need. Just like everything else in this world it comes down to money. I am not sure is the publishers of book who certainly have some sort of agreement with schools or states they reside in. Now onto the article, I did find it interesting that they are focusing more on affect or the social aspects of development. Use the technology that the world is using right now and teach teachers how to use this technology better. Yes the world is changing and we need to let the students use this technology because like the article said if they use it everywhere else and so do adults then why can't they use these technologies in the classroom. The key focus to me is not necessarily changing the educational focus but incorporating these technologies into the classroom.
This is avery captivating article that made me really sit back and think about its pros and cons. I do agree that times are changing and technology has become a big part of the world we live in. It makes sense that the shift in the education system would change its focus to more technology use in their schools. However I do disagree with Will Richardson's view on technology use in the classroom. Richardson's question, "Why is school the only place my kids can't take out the electronics they have in their pockets to answer the questions?", made me a little unsure about this point. Personally I use my phone to find answers to many questions in my life and I understand how someone would think it should also be okay to use it to find answers in the classroom setting, but I think this would be a disservice to my students. Instead of being able to recall information on their own, they are using a device to think for them. Unable to think for themselves develop well- informed perspectives and make a real contribution to society will never exist unless they have a devices to tell them how to think? Education should not just be finding an answers to a question, it should be able to understand,learn, and become more inquisitive about the world around them. Technology is a helpful tool but should not be anything more than that.
This article on rethinking teacher roles I thought was fascinating, for several reasons. Firstly, I believe Pensky and Richardson's belief that entering a new age of technology has greatly changed the role of the teacher in the classroom. With the technology movement in the classroom and throughout the world, we have developed an enlarged role, something greater than just a teacher. As a teacher today, as believed by Pensky and Richardson, our role in the classroom is something much greater than teaching curriculum, or "MESS." As teachers knew, we need to be facilitators in the classroom noew and embrace the conceptions of technology, as well as teaching students to develop analytical skills, critical thinking ability as well as a social and individual learner. This ability is imperative for students to grow academically and grow with their life skills development with attributes that are necessary for careers and the work force.
Another concept that I found equally interesting was the embracing of teachers developing their new roles but take on the role of a psychologist in the classroom as well. As a teacher, what I think is important in the classroom asides from teaching curriculum and incorporating rigorous ways of learning, is the ability of the teacher to get in the minds of the students and understand who they are as individuals. Our ability to do this can help us incorporate different activities to reach the different learners in the classroom and accommodate for the style of learning, their interests, while still accomplishing the goals and the skills to grow. Technology incorporation and using the role of a psychologist in the classroom are two concepts that I thought were most intriguing.
This article on rethinking teacher roles I thought was fascinating, for several reasons. Firstly, I believe Pensky and Richardson's belief that entering a new age of technology has greatly changed the role of the teacher in the classroom. With the technology movement in the classroom and throughout the world, we have developed an enlarged role, something greater than just a teacher. As a teacher today, as believed by Pensky and Richardson, our role in the classroom is something much greater than teaching curriculum, or "MESS." As teachers knew, we need to be facilitators in the classroom noew and embrace the conceptions of technology, as well as teaching students to develop analytical skills, critical thinking ability as well as a social and individual learner. This ability is imperative for students to grow academically and grow with their life skills development with attributes that are necessary for careers and the work force.
Another concept that I found equally interesting was the embracing of teachers developing their new roles but take on the role of a psychologist in the classroom as well. As a teacher, what I think is important in the classroom asides from teaching curriculum and incorporating rigorous ways of learning, is the ability of the teacher to get in the minds of the students and understand who they are as individuals. Our ability to do this can help us incorporate different activities to reach the different learners in the classroom and accommodate for the style of learning, their interests, while still accomplishing the goals and the skills to grow. Technology incorporation and using the role of a psychologist in the classroom are two concepts that I thought were most intriguing.
This blog, gave me mixed feelings. I agree with the “new” core curriculum of effective thinking, effective actions, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment and that it will benefit students in the classroom in the long run. The article states a teacher is responsible and capable for giving students what technology can not. Teachers act almost like psychologists as well, they have to give motivation, respect, empathy, and passion. The article also said the teachers should be learners first, and teachers second. It shows that if a teacher has to adapt themselves to the same level as the students with the new information and technology expansion always coming out. However, I did not like his terms “digital immigrant” and “digital native,” it depicted Prensky as small minded and rude, in my opinion. While kids may understand the world through technology know-a-days, that is not the way it should be; kids should be going to the library, picking up books, textbooks, research articles, etc. Students need hand on learning experiences and activities; students learn by doing, it enriches the learning environment greatly and will benefit them in social skills.
The one point I absolutely disagree with is Richardson’s question of why school is the only place his kids can’t take out their electronics from their pockets to answer questions is ridiculous. I don’t think phones should be allowed out during class time, I believe that students should be paying attention to the core topics; which should not be eliminated, (M.E.S.S.) and if they have a question, look up at a later time, during a break, lunch time, or at home, and come back with your answer to that specific question the next day. I agree that technology should be used to learn, but as a buffer, something to go to if necessary, but not take control of the students learning as a whole. I may be the only teacher in the future who strays from technology as much as I can try in my classroom, but I want it to be a student centered learning, interact with each other, get your hands dirty, use your brain; don’t rely on the internet.
The article “ Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World” discusses Marc Prensky’s speech on technology and “furturecation.” He says “ futurecation” involves preparing students to do things "we could never do before" and rather than focusing on content like math, English, science and social studies we focus on effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. I agree that due to the changes in technology and the way students come into the classroom knowing this information, the role of the teacher has changed. Teachers in the classroom have to learn to embrace technology as well be able to incorporate it into the classroom. In doing this, teachers can also focus on effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. However, while we teach these skills, it is important that we do not forget English, Math, science and social studies. Besides the content, there also needs to be a focus on motivation, respect, empathy and passion. Although technology is now a huge part of the classroom and students are growing up with these different types of technology, it does not mean that all students will find this method effective. Some students might not like working with Ipads or computers everyday and we have to best teach them as well. Another point that the article brings up is that teachers should first be learners and then teachers. At first this confused me, but reading and thinking more about it I think it is a great statement. I think this because it allows teachers to model how to be curious and teach strategies that could help students become active learners. After reading this article, in my own future classroom I think there needs to be a balance with the use of technology in the classroom. I do not think it would be effective if we just gave students Ipads and computers and just let them teach themselves. Instead, we need to find a balance where students are able use technology as well as interact and collaborate with others in hands-on and engaging lessons.
In response to Shana:
I agree that phones should not be allowed during class time. Not only is it distracting, it takes away from the limited class time we do have with students. We should have technology in the classroom, but I think creating student-centered learning environments will benefit students more and show that there are other ways to find out information other than relying on the Internet.
The article, "Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World" was very interesting. Marc Prenskys speech about the future of education was perfect and is an important read for all teachers or future teachers. As Will Richardson said, "Using technology for self-directed learning, is not an option—this is not whole language or new math—this is here to stay. Technology has come such a long way and kids seem to truly enjoy it. If all districts, schools and teachers were on the same page about technology, I feel that students may enjoy school more and will be more engaged. Using technology in the classroom may positively help the students learn, students of all ages. One sentence that really stood out to me was when Prenskys stated," the role of the human teacher is now "to give students what technology can't—motivation, respect, empathy, and passion." This statement is very bold and I think it may eventually come to this if technology takes over the classroom. Technology can overall positively help the students learn and transform each classroom to an updated version of education.
The article was interesting for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was the notion that modern day teachers are moving away from providing students with the core curriculum and have evolved into more of facilitators and motivators. The line where Prensky states the role of teachers lies more in "motivation, respect, empathy, and passion" definitely stuck with me. As a teacher in a school for kids with special needs, those are definitely core elements of what I try to impart on my students. Whether or not they grasp a particular concept isn't as important as teaching them ideals through how you act and conduct yourself as an educator. Students notice, recognize, and respond to compassion and respect, its something that sticks with them long after they've left your classroom. Technology has certainly changed a lot for teachers and many that I know hold the opinion that it scares them or is making teachers obsolete. While I can understand that line of thinking, I think it misses a prime opportunity to look at technology as a positive and freeing element for teachers. It can allow them to focus more on concepts than content, which can be a shackling element if teachers are merely regurgitating facts for their students to memorize. I think its also a common misconception that technology means less interaction between students when often it can mean more. Students who are shy and don't want to speak out in class might be more inclined to most and interact with students on class blog, thus integrating students into the discussion that would have otherwise missed out. The article definitely had a lot of interesting points, many of which related to my teaching experience.
I really enjoyed this article because it allows teachers to reevaluate themselves as well as their teaching methods. Times have changed and this author explains how children in the older generations were brought up to reading and hard cover texts whereas students nowadays are brought up with the use of technology. Not only does technology incorporate reading but it has additional lessons within lessons which is really the key and is essential to learning. I also found it quite interesting when I read the part that stated teacher main focus in the classroom is math English science and social studies when it should actually be geared around thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishment. I agree with this to some extent that the things students are learning they should be able to relate to it in some way. If a student can base their learning to something in real life then they do not see the real importance of what it is they are learning. It is important to have material that students can relate to so they become more engaging in learning something. With that being said, students love technology because they can relate to it in their everyday lives. We as educators need to make learning fun, even if it means going outside of what both we and students are used to.
I think I can agree with Prensky to an extent. I do believe that it is important to acknowledge that technology is here to stay and that students will not accept the ban of certain forms of tech in the classroom for much longer. It is impractical to expect students to have their cell phones off while in the classroom or to do some form of research without a computer. Though reading is becoming less necessary, I do not believe it has become any less important. I think that reading comes as a requirement to use basically any form of technology. I also liked that Prensky brought up the fact that the new core should be "effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment". I think that all of these are very important, but I also believe that these are things that teachers always should have been focusing on, in addition to the traditional Math, English, Social Studies, etc. While it is true that technology can bring information to students in ways that teachers previously could not, I think that a teacher is needed now more than ever in order to teach students how to use the technology they have as a tool for learning. I think that teachers need to act as guides and experts on using technology for each lesson, and to collaborate with students in using it. I can appreciate the views that Pensky has regarding how to treat the modern-day student. I do not think his approach should be a replacement, but rather something we as teachers incorporate into our practice.
I agree with Shannon's point of view on Prensky. I do agree with Prensky about how technology is a major part of today’s world and children soon won't accept the fact that they can't use it in classrooms. But I do not think that reading is any less important than it was back in the day. With technology, students can have and see several answers to a question along with having the opportunity to watch videos to further expand their learning toward a topic. Instead of teachers fighting against technology in the classroom, they should learn how to use certain helpful, school appropriate websites and embrace them within the classroom. It would benefit both the teacher and the student. Students will still have to read and write but with the help of technology, this can be used as an extra hand in the classroom and even at home. When using technology in the classroom, it not only helps students learn that current lesson, but it also enhances their computer and internet skills which is a major key for their future. Today’s job world is full of technology and the only time they learn it is in a computer class once or twice a week in school. There are many positive aspects that can come from using certain technology in the classroom. There are thousands of learning APPs that make it seem fun for children to learn. Half the time, they think they are playing a game and having no idea they are learning. In my classroom, during groups, we have a class iPad that students use and log onto their information and complete several activities. At the end of the day, we bring it home and can assess where they are individually excelling, or struggling and it saves us some time grading because its automatic. I believe technology should definitely be used in a classroom, but to an extent.
The author Marc Prensky describes what he calls the “mess” that is currently being taught to students in classrooms across the country. He believes that we need to make a change to more effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships and effective accomplishment. He also says that thinking, acting, relating and accomplishing should be what primary and secondary school is about. I agree that we do need to teach students how to think and problem solve without sticking to a strict curriculum. I am currently observing in high school social studies classes at Massapequa High School and many of the teachers and students have discussions about the current presidential race. This is not part of the curriculum but I feel that it is very important for students to learn about what is going on. In my opinion students should learn many of the things they are currently learning but I also believe that having it so strictly based on content does not help our students grow as people. I would like to see the education system move away from state exams. I would like to see the standards be more about real life skills and higher order thinking than what it currently is. Involving technology in the classroom is very important. Students today use technology in so many ways, it inescapable. Teachers need to be using technology as much as possible.
If I were to teach the way Prensky discusses I would use different strategies and I would ask different questions. I would definitely use technology as much as possible. I would still continue to make sure reading and writing are prominent in my classrooms because I feel these skills are still very important. The best way for teachers to educate students today is by making the content relatable. Technology is the way of the future and you can either hop on board or be left in the past.
reply to Whitney:
I agree with you when you said students should be able to relate to what they are learning. It is far more easy to understand and remember something when you are able to make a connection to it in some way. I also agree with you when you said teachers must go out of their technology comfort zone in order to educate the new generation of students
After reading this article, I can agree with Prensky to some extent. I do agree with Prensky on the fact that "the way kids understand the world is through technology". Thus, it is important for us teachers to learn ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms in order for students to build the connections between their own use of technology and the content that is within the classroom. Although technology has been increasing in society and students are aware of the different types of technology and how they can be used, I do still think it is important for teachers to also teach the basics of reading, math, science and social studies. This content cannot be eliminated from education because students then will never actually learn. In this case, technology should be used as a tool for learning where students are guided through technology to learn these subjects. Going forth, I do agree with Prensky when he states that, "I think we need a new core: effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment". I agree with this statement to the extent that using these methods of teaching alongside of the traditional subjects and technology, classrooms will be well-balanced with experiences in each strategy to help both students and teachers grow. I would incorporate these techniques into my classroom and allow students to use technology as an aide in doing so.
Replying to Shannon, I have to agree with what she is saying. I agree that soon students will not accept the fact that they cannot use their own technology in the classroom, such as cell phones to enhance their learning. Hence, incorporating technology in an innovative way will help students connect their learning to a better extent. Although technology will be a main source of information for future students, similar to Shannon, I do think the traditional subjects such as math, science, english and social studies must be taught within classrooms to maintain that stability. Technology thus, should be used as a method to teach and improve skills that students have to build on. Together, teachers should work with students to improve their learning through all of these tools that have changed the world of education today.
I agree with Marc Prensky’s approach to an extent. I do believe it is undeniable that technology is very much prominent in today’s society and is here to stay, however I believe that technology can be used as an additive asset to classrooms and instruction rather than the replacement of what Prensky states as “MESS.” I don’t see why there has to be a boundary line between “traditional teaching” and “modernized teaching” when concerning technology. I feel as if the content areas- math, english, science and social studies can be enhanced and made more engaging with the use of new and innovative instructional strategies including the use of technological tools, there does not need to be this choosing of one or the other in my opinion. I believe school’s core focus should still be based around the content areas, however that does not mean it cannot be hands-on, creative, or motivating for our students.
I feel this approach won’t really affect how I teach in the future, because I will not necessarily be “afraid” to incorporate technology in my classroom and enhance my student’s learning experiences based on the core content areas. I still believe that learning should be hands-on, creative and motivating for my students, and Marc Prensky’s approach only reiterates that for me rather than affects how I view my future teachings.
In response to Shannon Gioello: I couldn’t agree more with you that “effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment” is very much important and should have been essentially teacher’s focus always, in addition to the core content areas.
Marc Prensky raises an important topic that many educators face today. Students are immersed in technology everyday outside of school, but in school they may not be allowed to use technology to research information. The article also mentions that teachers are responsible for giving students what technology may not be able to. Educators can provide motivation, passion and empathy to students. Technology also does not provide human interaction while learning, that a teacher does give. But now, teachers are becoming more of a facilitator of information and learning, than a direct resource of information. The use of technology is taking the lead, so teachers must be able to work hand in hand with using technology to educate their students.
In the article Marc Prensky believes to mainly focus on effective thinking, effective action, effective relationship, and effective accomplishment instead of "MESS." I don't completely agree with his opinion. I do believe all of those should be taught through the subject classes. Teaching students the "effectives" listed above comes through the social aspect of learning. With that and the subject classes, students will be learning when they don't even realize it. In the article Prensky also states that teachers must be "learners first, teachers second." I found this very eye opening. Teachers must learn the process of learning for students and model them. They also need to grasp every students learning habits to full reach the students true potential.
Reply: I agree with Angelica, Prensky spoke about how teachers use technology to teach rather than having the technology assist their teaching. It is important for teachers to stay on the students level of understanding and communicate with them. Technology is still a helpful and reliable resource to be used within the classroom.
The article starts off by saying "how technology is changing learning and the many ways schools need to adapt and catch up". I completely agree with this statement but past that I do not agree with the article. I believe that technology should be added to the current curriculum to help guide students in a new way of learning. Interacting with others in the classroom is sometimes the only interactions some students have with individuals outside of the classroom. It is very important for students to not only learn the basics in school but also how to interact with others and act appropriately in different settings. I think that we as educators need to find a balance in teaching and using technology.
Reply: I agree with Kaitlyn McCormack and find it interesting that teachers need to ne learners first and teachers second. Taking a step back and looking at my day, I learn more and more everyday from my students and need to use that information to help them in their own ways.
I do not fully agree with Marc Prensky and his approach. The reason as to why I do not fully agree is because he thinks that technology is the only way in which children learn and that should not be. While I do think that it is important for technology to be apart of the curriculum today, it is most definitely not the only way children are learning in school, as far as I can see throughout my observations, teachers use technology to assist them in teaching certain things but it is not the only thing they are using. In my experience I do see teachers being the learner first and teacher second in the ways that they differentiate for the students in their classes. I also see teachers motivating their students and showing them respect as well as teaching about what it is to be respectful and providing real life examples. I think I would use technology in my classroom, to assist me in topics that I am teaching, but I would not use technology to teach for me. I too agree with Kaitlyn, I think it is vital that teachers use technology to assist them with their teaching and stay on the same level of understanding as their students.
I agree with many aspect of this article. Technology is a very important part of education today and it is allowing students to be creative and gives them access to endless information. Prensky explains that because of this, the new role of teachers is to teach students motivation, respect, empathy and passion. I believe that this new generation of learners is going to be able to think more effectively because they are thinking for themselves. Students are no longer being told what to think, they are being taught to use the tools that teachers provide them to come to their own conclusion on many in class topics. I believe that this idea is leading to more discussions and will benefit students substantially because they will learn to think “outside of the box.”
I see this in today’s high school math classes. Students are now learning math through Common Core Standards. I think that this is an excellent approach. Math has been seen as a black and white subject in the past. Students have been given formulas and told to solve problems. Common Core is now allowing students to understand why they are using these formulas and what they are actually solving for. Students are given the opportunity to discuss and express their ideas which I believe will increase their motivation and interest in the subject.
In response to Claire: I can see where Claire is coming from. I agree that the job of the teacher is to do more than just provide the student with motivation, respect, empathy and passion. Technology is not the only way that students are learning today because they definitely need more structure and guidance and that should be coming from their teacher.
I found the article "Rethinking Teacher Roles in a New Networked World" an interesting read. The author Mar Prensky presents this idea that rather than continuing with a content focus—math, English, science, and social studies (or "MESS" as he calls it)—he said, "I think we need a new core: effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment. Thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing ought to be what primary and secondary school is about." I am kind of on the fence about this idea. Yes I agree that effective thinking, effective action, effective relationships, and effective accomplishment should be core values in education. And I do agree that thinking, acting, relating, and accomplishing are what primary and secondary school is about. But this article almost makes it seem like technology is something that students should depend on for A LOT. And in a sense I disagree because technology can be hurtful as well. Being dependent on search engines online doesn’t help a student’s critical thinking ability. I don’t think it would be okay for student’s to just “google” their way through their whole educational career. They should be able to think for themselves. But the truth of the matter is that technology affects all teachers and the way they teach because we live in the 21st century where society is hooked on technology.
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