Week 2
I believe that the articles
were on point when describing the various generations and that most of my
students are digital natives or generation Z children. I say this because most
are computer/internet savvy and do not have a problem in letting you know it. I
find this to be both good and bad. It’s good because technology appeals to my
student’s senses and sparks their curiosity, which results in them having a positive
attitude about technology and learning. Yet the downside is that technology
causes students to lack effective communication skills and conflict resolution
techniques when it comes to face-to-face interaction.
As teachers we must remember
that the educational system of yesterday was not really designed to include the
utilization of technology. Therefore, teachers must be open-minded about
utilizing technology and know when to use it and when not to. In addition to
using technology in the classroom, it’s important for teachers to be aware that
the basics still need to be incorporated into everyday lessons. When I say the
basics I’m referring to communication skills, problem solving techniques,
reliability of information, legacy content and participation in physical
activities.
Students today enjoy
multi-tasking and need a great deal of stimuli to stay connected to what the
teacher is teaching, so teachers must be prepared to teach both the legacy and
future content in a way that will allow generation Z students to understand and
grasps the concepts needed to transfer to everyday life. Techniques that can be used in teaching both
legacy and future content include computer games, and incorporating film,
digital images and PowerPoint presentations during lectures.
