Monday's Class (Septemeber 12th, 2011)

21^st Century Skills was the most interesting article of the night for me. The skills that students are expected to acquire from school seem very demanding. When I was growing up, and I consider myself to be fairly young, technology didn’t dominate the classroom as it does/will in the 21^st century. “Google” was never an option when it came time for my sixth grade research project on HIV. enGuage feels that in order for students the thrive in this 21^st century digital age, they must embody certain technological skills, or Digital-Age Literacies. Some skills among others include multicultural and informational literacy, along with global awareness. Informational literacy is one that I would normally expect students to take from their learning. I do agree that students should be able to use technology to better organize and synthesize information.  I am not used to seeing multicultural literacy and global awareness in the same setting.  Multicultural awareness in schools is important. With many people migrating around the world each year, it is important or students to have access to information that would allow them to research other groups and cultures, which will enable them to improve communication. Also in the article are enhancing effective communication through interactive communication and the ability to use real world tools both of which require a technologically literate individual.

                Marc Prensky’s Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants classified society into two categories. A Digital Native is someone born into a time where the internet was a readily available; basically those born in the 90’s. I had my first experience with the internet around age 11. In seventh grade I had a required class that gave touch-typing instruction and my household had 2 computers in it. Although it may seem like I am a digital native (although I wasn’t born in the 90’s), I feel that I am a digital immigrant. I knew how to navigate through a library and find a book prior to that information being accessible through the computer. As the technology improved, I learned how to use computerize resources. Digital Immigrants are individuals who grew up in a time where computers didn’t exist, and as they became popular, the individual learned how to use the technology.  I don’t like either of the titles. I feel like Digital Immigrant has a negative connotation. Hopefully people don’t start asking whether or not you are a digital native or immigrant on employment applications.

                “Who Are the Students Today” (YouTube video) showed who the students are in today’s classrooms and lecture halls. The video seemed to be a reality to check, but I’m not sure whom it was for. It’s important to know and see who the student’s are and what they think about the process that they are going through. It’s a shame to know that some students waste money on education by not showing up to class, but it’s also sad that students feel they will be fixing problems that they did not create.  It seems like the students have no motivation. Today’s students are over worked and do not have enough time in a 24 hour period to enjoy themselves and get the recommended 8 hours of sleep.  When they finish college, they’ll be in debt, which makes their situation worse.

Educational Reform in the United States

 The United States educational system has traditionally been preparing it's students for careers like doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc. However, we now live in a time where constant change is taking place. That being said, there need to be more focus on educational reform. It is vital for educators to be knowledgeable about the world that their students live in. Regardless of what I may have experienced as a child, as a future educator I need to be aware of, and sensitive to the ever-changing environment my students live in, which in today’s society means continued technological improvements. This means that instead of relying heavily on a chalkboard, and instructing the students to repetitively copy a sentence, teachers need to incorporate tools such as Smartboards, computers, and other electronic devices that students are familiar with.

The constant change in technology also creates a change in the job market. It is thought that students are being trained for jobs which do not exist, yet. This isn't shocking. What is shocking is the fact that it seems that technology improves more rapidly than the system of education can keep up with. Although curriculum changes periodically, it doesn't change at a rate that the technological industry does. This means that upon completion of college, computer software engineers may have a risk of not being able to perform the job that he or she has trained many years for. If an educator wants their curriculum to remain relevant, they must teach information which is relevant to their students world, and utilize materials to enhance their teaching. Today, an Ipad2 may be the perfect tool to improve learning, but 2 years from now, it will be obsolete.

The United States, a country that prides itself as the most powerful nation on Earth, has one of the highest high school drop-out rates. How can we compete against other strong nations, like China, with a struggling educational system? Educational reform has been a popular topic in politics, but there needs to be an effort for reform to be more than just simply a topic.