Living in a Digital Nation: Beneficial or Detrimental for Students

              Well, even though the information was interesting and important, I had a hard time focusing on it and giving it my full attention. Like the students in the video, after a while I switched to multitasking while listening to it. I surprised myself as to how attentive I got when listening to it and checking my email or logging into Facebook at the same time. I am aware that students feel that they are learning better by multitasking while research has proven that it is not necessarily true, but I felt it worked for me. Therefore, I am wondering if in these times our brains are so used to multitasking that it has trouble when asked to focus on a single task. At school, I have noticed that when a teacher is reading aloud to the class, several students are playing with their writing tools or doodling. Often the teacher will ask them to stop or takes it away from them thinking that it is distracting them from the task at hand. I believe that it is important to ask those students a question regarding the material just read, and if they answer correctly then one knows that they were listening. Many students need those “distractions” in order to pay attention, and teachers should be sensitive to those needs. I feel this need also arises when the lesson is not engaging enough for the students. Our digital native students are used to multitasking and being engaged using digital tools in the learning process. I believe this need must be accommodated as long as it is not negating the learning of others.

            Another point discussed in the video was about the addiction of gaming that is prevalent amongst young students in Asia which was shocking to me. It has reached to such a point that it is considered as a psychiatric disorder and requires treatment. Now days teaching students internet etiquette is part of the school curriculum in several countries in Asia. Personally, I have experienced this scare myself and found it hard to deal with it. I felt my son went through this online gaming addiction at the end of his middle school and early high school years. Just as the mother in the video, I was at a lost as how to address this issue. He was missing school and assignments as he use to stay up all night playing games. I tried taking away the internet, but that was not effective as he was far more technologically advanced and knew how to get it back. So I went back to the age old remedy that is to have him receive natural consequences for his choices. It was the hardest decision I had to make as it is difficult to let your child fall while you stand back and watch. His grades in English and Social Studies started to decline rapidly and having to attend summer school to recuperate credits is what got him out of the gaming abyss is my belief. As I was listening to that portion of the video, I could identify with that mother’s trials and tribulations of having to help her son get rid of the gaming addiction and felt for her pain. But again the technology is an integral part of our youth’s life and it is important that we understand its power and take advantage of it for effective teaching and learning.

            This video showed several point of views regarding the pros and cons of technology and its integration in teaching and learning in schools. However, it did not convince me either way whether to use it all the time for everything or not use it at all. In fact the last words said by MIT professor Sherry Turkle echoed my philosophy on integrating technology in the classroom. Like her I too believe that technology is powerful, complicated and we must take advantage of it but must also ask ourselves what it does to us. We will have to slowly find the balance which will take time. Either way there isn’t enough research to support whether using technology, multitasking, or using virtual worlds is beneficial or harmful to our youth and nation. More research and studies need to be conducted and information shared before one can claim of its value. Meanwhile, I hope to find that fine balance so that I can make the learning process in my classroom appealing and constructive for the future needs of my students and the nation.  

I have provided the hyperlink if you would like to view the video and would appreciate if you could share your thoughts on it.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/

Cyberbullying: A Silent but Deadly Epidemic

The new problem encountered in our society, mainly in schools due to technological advancement is cyberbullying. It is not same as bullying that happens at recess, hallways, or classrooms. It has moved beyond the four walls of a classroom and affecting our youth. What is it and how is it affecting our teenagers?

 Based on several readings and watching video clips, cyberbullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor.

Bullying, which is one person or group of people having more power over another has always existed, but now technology has taken it a step beyond and made it far worse. In the past it used to be a face to face fight on the school playground between two people in front an audience of few others. Using technology as a source has allowed bullying to be a 24/7 torment for the victim making it far worse unlike face to face bullying that stopped once a child came home. Harassment through technology has amplified the pain and hurt as it is constantly in the face of a victim without it being aware by the adults around them as it is silent and invisible. The victim has lack or loss of control in the situation, and the constant torment can be damaging to the self-esteem of the teen which at this time is already at a vulnerable stage.    

How do we equip teens to face these problems and resolve the situation is the big question that adults and parents are facing? We are not digital natives as teens are and so we are limited when it comes to detecting these issues in the cyber world. However, we are aware of the signs of bullying such as you might notice teens acting differently or seeming anxious, or not eating, sleeping well, or doing the things they usually enjoy. When teens seem moodier or more easily upset than usual, or when they start avoiding certain situations, like taking the bus to school, or avoiding school, or there is decline in academic performance, it might be because they are being bullied. When you as the adult notice any of these signs, you must open up a line of communication and be understanding, supportive, and guide them to resolve the situation. However, these days it is also important to address the issue of cyberbullying beforehand just the way parents address issues of drug, alcohol, and smoking with their teens. Schools should address this dilemma by having workshops for students where they are taught ways to address the situation, practice through role play how to stand up to bullies and teach bystanders strategies to help stop the bullies. Teens should also be shown to use the technology for the right reasons and show them how to self-protect themselves by using blocking and reporting on social network sites. Most important of all, adults need to the set the tone about not tolerating any kind of bullying. Cyberbullying is a crime punishable by law!

K-12 Online Conference: Keeping Literacy in 21st Century Literacy

             Keeping with the goal of this class in mind, using Web 2.0 tools to increase student engagement and enhance web skills, I viewed a presentation that introduced me to three more tools to use in class one of them we had already learned. In the presentation titled, Keeping Literacy in 21^st Century Literacy, presenter Drew Schrader organized the presentation into three sections, namely issue faced by student, literacy strategy being addressed or taught, and the introduction of the tool to enhance strategy learning. This clear and concise presentation was simple to follow, and the manner in which he demonstrated the tools made it easy for me to learn.

            Schrader’s strategies were based on the guiding belief as to how to make meaning from text and what new, free engaging web tools can be utilized by the student. He addressed three issues in this presentation. The first one was that students are not able to metacognate their own reading and how to use think aloud strategies which addresses this need by using the tool Screentoaster. The next issue that he talks about in the presentation is how students struggle to make use of text conventions when reading independently. He introduces the use of annotated text using the tool Diigo, a social bookmarking tool that allows a teacher to embed comments and share them with students to guide their independent reading. The last issue addressed was how students need to organize their ideas when responding to a prompt. He suggested using Prezi which is a fun way to mind map or create a web to organize thoughts and ideas.

            All of the tools that Schrader introduced in his presentation were simple to use and could be effective as I felt that they would be more engaging for the students instead of the traditional paper-pencil method. However, as I was viewing it couple of questions came to mind such as, "Is there enough time in a school day to teach and have students familiarize themselves with these tools and Are there enough computers or access to the computer labs at the elementary level for the students to be able to use these tools?" Again the question of equal access to technology also came to mind, and the fact that not all students will have computers at home to be able to take advantage of these tools. So what is the solution? Do I just say like I hear teachers say “would love to use technology but do not have time, skill or means to” or collaborate with teachers, administrators, and the community to find ways to integrate technology in the learning process. I choose the second…anything for the children our future as they are first!

Hyperlink to the presentation: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=444

Equal Access to Technology Means Equal Access to Effective Uses of Technologies

          According to Schrum and Levin, it has become important and essential to incorporate knowledge and teaching of 21^st-century skills. These skills are necessary if we want our students to compete and succeed globally. Besides the core subjects, it is also essential to weave technology instruction into the curriculum so that students can engage and learn them.  This goal can be accomplished by schools by providing equal access to the digital world in the classroom.           

            I am fully aware that providing equal access and integrating technology in the classroom is very challenging for teachers, but through creative planning and thinking it is in the realm of possibility. Therefore, we as future teachers have to collaborate with each other and school administrators to come up with ways to meet these needs in our classroom and schools. It is necessary that the school district and building administration be on the same page when it comes to meeting these needs of our students.

          For me, equal access to technology implies equal access to effective uses of technologies in a classroom to enhance the learning process.  As teachers we must promote meaningful, engaged learning through authentic uses of technology providing students with opportunities to interact with a wealth of resources, materials, and data sets. According to Chris Collins, a sixth grade teacher at Hillside Elementary School, when educational technology applications such as the Internet, distance learning, CD-ROMs, and video are used at the classroom level to help achieve challenging educational standards, they provide powerful alternatives for creating more effective learning environments and more productive learning opportunities.

            As a classroom teacher it falls on me to ensure the learning of how to use various technologies available by providing technology-supported, project-based instruction. In some instances the classroom may be the only time some students are exposed to technological tools, and it's my responsibility to strengthen the student’s knowledge base and further educate them. In a typical classroom there will be students with access to many technological resources while others will have none. As teachers we need to be aware of this gap and understand that this will have to be addressed in class if we are to provide equal access to technology to all students in order to develop their much needed 21^st-century skills.