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| Image Property of Krista Moroder |
For
this week’s post, we are viewing statistics and discussing how educational technology
impacts how our students learn. Some of
these articles remind me of the National Geographic documentary series, Valley of the Boom. This televise documentary series tells the
story about the beginning of the internet, the deals that were made behind the
scenes and how the internet impacted our lives. I remember the web browser,
Netscape, because a friend of mine introduced me to it. She was the only one at the time that had
internet service in her home. I did not know what it was at the time until she
showed me how to use it. I didn’t think that I could even benefit from using
the internet at all. I remember as a kid
hearing about the “internet” but I never really used it until I was almost out
of high school and on my way to college.
My mom didn’t get internet service until my last year of high
school. As far as social media was
concern during that time, I was introduced and had accounts for Yahoo Instant
Messager (through my Yahoo email account), Blackplanet.com and Collegeclub.com. Did these online outlets impact the way I
learn? In a way it did because I was one
of those students that didn’t come from a home with internet at the time. I only used the computer to search the online
catalog for books in the school and or public library. I work with some students who do not have
internet service, a computer or a cell phone.
Their families cannot afford it just like mines could not because certain
bills took priority over the luxury over the internet. Learning how to attach documents to an email,
send an email, and utilize the early models of social media is something that I
had to learn in order to function in society and in the classroom. My sense of
the internet and technology was very limited back then in the year 2000. However, reading and viewing these reports
only a couple stood out to me.
Project
Tomorrow has a research data program called, Speak Up. Speak Up,
according to it’s website, provides an easy way for students, parents and
educators to participate in your local decisions about technology, as well as
contribute to the state and national dialogue about digital learning through a
free data collection process for your school or district. Speak Up’s conducted a research called, Ten Things Everyone Should Know about K-12
Students' Digital Learning, 2018. This research stood out to me because
some of the findings I see all the time when I view my students interacting and
learning with technology daily. For
example, number six of this list, My
school is called “YouTube”, talks about how students learn how to do a task
on their own by watching YouTube. According to the study, 77% of grade 6-8
students and 90% of grade 9-12 students say that they regularly find and watch
online videos to learn how to do something when they are at home. I have seen some of my students use YouTube
to find out how to do science projects, fix used computers and cell
phones. I was not surprise by this
static at all. To tell you the truth, I
used YouTube to learn how to patch a hole in my wall.
I was surprise by number three’s Print vs. Pixel Preferences statistics.
It is hard to believe that only 77% of high school students say they prefer to
read a printed book or article. But 66% of students in K-2 classes say reading
is best for them on a screen – even more fun with audio and lots of
interactivity. I would never think that
high school students would like to ditch technology when it came to reading a
book. I see most of them with their tablets all the time in my library. So I guess you can that I assume that they
are reading a book on their device. Then
again, those tablets have social media apps on them so I guess they are using
those apps more than reading a book online. Also most of my students can not afford tablets to read on. I was not surprise about students’
K through 2nd that love to
watch and work on a big screen in their classroom. Students of that age level love to watch and
interact on the white boards in my school district. Most students in that grade can function the
white board better than the teacher. They love making noises and being hands on
when learning and having fun through technology. Most of the white board activities consist of
creating story boards, watching movies and playing educational games. Playing with chalk on the black board and
getting dirty is not fun for these children any more.
Another
statistical resource that I found interesting was the Generation Z: Understanding and Engaging the Emerging Generations. This blog talks about how each generation
engaged through the emergence of technology.
Each generation interacts with changes throughout society. The generations that are covered in this
research start with builders all the way to generation alpha. I am dealing with Alpha and “Z” students as
we speak. I see that these two
generational periods of students are basically learning through technology
because for some of them, technology is raising them. In my opinion, technology should not be used
in that way. It was shocking to see the
generational break down of things that were created from automobiles, music
devices, social makers that took place in history all the way to the times of
when search engines and social media outlets were created and involved. I am considered as a generation “Y” person. I during my life time, I have had a walkman
before. After I have several walkman, I
had a disc man (portable cd player). I
never got an iPod until I was almost 30 years old. I still used floppy disc until I started graduate
school with my first master’s degree. In
graduate school, I purchase my first USB drive.
With all these changes, I see that I am somewhat behind on the usage of
technology and social media just like some in other generations.
I
am making reference to the section of generation “Z” in the United States is
ranked third in “total” population but is not ranked in generation “Z”
population. According to this blog,
generation “Zs” are demographically changed and are growing up in an era of
Australia’s largest baby boom since the birth of the Boomer generation. This generation is living in an era of
changing household structures that is changing society with an increasingly
ageing population. They are digitally transformed by integrating technology
into their everyday realities. Maybe
it’s because access and how technology is taught and learned in Australia with
this generation has made them so advance. I know some or most students that I work with
do not have internet, a computer or a cell phone at home. Some of my students have heard some of some
names of social media outlets but they never seen or access them before. This detailed chart and static is a wakeup
call that the United States should make learning technology accessible. This needs to happen at home and in the
classrooms. However, we live in a
reality that most households cannot afford technology at home and that most
school districts are in the same boat. If affordable access was available, then
students can be taught how to properly integrating technology as part of their
learning environment. This investment
can benefit them in the long run.
However, the question maybe that can technology keep up with a changing
population.
References
Ryan, Patrick (2018). First
look: Nat Geo's tech drama 'Valley of the Boom' tells Internet origin story.
US Today. Retrieved January 28, 2019 at https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/07/24/exclusive-nat-geo-goes-boom-first-trailer-silicon-valley-drama/818878002/
Project Tomorrow (2018). Ten
Things Everyone Should Know about K-12 Students' Digital Learning, 2018. Speak
Up. Retrieved on January 29, 2019 at https://tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup-2017-ten-things-to-know-students-digital-learning-september-2018.html
McCrindle (2018). Generation
Z: Understanding and Engaging the Emerging Generations. McCrindle. Retrieved on January 29, 2019 at https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blogarchive/generation-z-understanding-and-engaging-the-emerging-generations/
McCrindle (2017). GenZGenAplpha
2017. Retrieved on January 29, 2019 at https://mccrindle.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GenZGenAlpha_2017.pdf
