Digital Natives in the Classroom

The “digital natives” in the classroom could definitely benefit from using more advanced technology for assignments and in-class use. The students in the video “Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment” seemed to not only be learning a lot but enjoying the process as well. One of the teacher’s in the video mentioned what a strange world it would be if children became addicted to education, and I could not agree more!

The use of advanced technology in the classroom would draw in the students who are “digital natives” as well as the remainder of the students by teaching them through creation. Bloom’s Taxonomy believes that combining parts to create a functioning whole is the highest-order of thinking, which most deeply engages students to help them learn. However, not all schools can function at the high level of technology-based instruction that the school in “Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment,” so often times students may need or want to incorporate technology of their own accord. In the video “Digital Youth Portrait: Sam,” Sam took common assignments and put her own technological twist on them.

In an ideal technological situation, incorporating technology into the classroom would have many benefits for all students; however, in reality, many students would not have the knowledge or understanding of programs which feel intimidating. Students who are “immigrants” would need a lot of extra help and guidance, which would be limiting because the teacher must take the time to guide them step-by-step. The benefits would still outweigh the downfalls because it allows the students to be creative and work hands-on to engage in the material. It gives students a chance to “practice” using content in simulated situations, so students are also applying their knowledge as well as solving problems.

In my classroom, we use Baby-Think-It-Over simulators, where the students take home the life-like babies for a weekend to care for their every need. The experience is as close to realistic as possible, but many of the teachers in our building see this simulation as a joke, as a “game for fun.” The book mentioned learning vs. having fun as a potential limitation, and some of the teachers in my building see to fall into this category. In reality, the experience is often very difficult and the students come back having gained a lot of knowledge about what it would be like to be a teen parent.

It seems that technological games and simulations can add a lot of unique experiences and allow for higher-order thinking in the classroom, but you will always have your critics and your obstacles. In an ideal world, we could all incorporate these technologies into our lessons to allow students of learning styles and abilities the opportunity for safe, hands-on experimentation and creation.

Teaching Interests and Instructional Topic

In teaching Family and Consumer Sciences at the high school level, my passion lies in Child Care. We operate a preschool out of my classroom, so my students get direct, hands-on contact with young children. With that experience comes contact with the parent’s of the preschool children. We use a variety of tools to communicate with the parents on a regular basis. I would love to see my students have a complete, true knowledge of the possibilities available to them.

I would like to utilize my own website to communicate both to parents and students alike. I would like to see my students becoming familiar with the different options available to communicate with the parents of the preschool children.