Access Doesn't Equal Experience
Last week, as I was dealing with the "fun" of my students not being able to save anything to their computers, I did what any normal teacher would do-I improvised! So, instead of the students saving their practice Word docs, I walked around and had them show me their work, then I'd immediately grade it and put it into Infinite Campus. As I trekked over backpacks while trying not to fall flat on my face, I realized that my eyes are even worse than I thought. I couldn't see the formatting details I needed to see, so I clearly needed my students to make their Word docs bigger. Apparently 100% magnification has an expiration date, and being in my 30's, I've passed that point. So, I cleared my throat and used my best teacher voice (and self deprecating sense of humor) to let my students know that I needed them to "blow up" the size of their documents to at least 150% so that I can actually see their work. It was all sorts of "mission accomplished" from my point of view. I stated the directions clearly and loudly. I used humor and appealed to the students by asking for their help. I even threw in cool, hip, slang by having them "blow up" their documents. I was on fire! Or so I thought. It soon became evident that students had no idea what I meant by magnifying their document size. The majority of kids selected all of their text and went to change the font size to a bigger number. I decided to make another "teacher announcement" and explained where the document size adjustment can be located and how to I expected them to change it. For many, it was completely new information.
Like any good teacher, I internally reflected on my approach and decided that it was my use of slang that probably threw the students off. So in my next class, I clearly stated that I needed them to increase the size of the document from 100% to 150%. I still kept the self deprecating jokes about my eyesight and the request for help consistent. I was sure that my freshmen, who'd been exposed to technology since they were in diapers, were going to know exactly what I was talking about. Imagine my surprise when I got the same results as I did in my prior class. Most students went to change the font size. I was frustrated. It's such a simple task, why weren't my kids able to perform it?? I'd love to say that I had the patience of a saint and tried new tactics with my subsequent classes, but ultimately I needed the task to be performed. I ended up doing a quick demonstration at the start of each of my other 2 sections and had marginally better results with students understanding what I was asking of them when I asked for an increase in document size.
Now you may be thinking that I'm just being too picky as a teacher. I should be able to focus on bigger issues, but really, this is an indication of a bigger issue. As teachers, it's easy for us to assume that students are ahead of the game when it comes to technology. The common buzzword phrase is "digital natives vs. digital immigrants." We assume that our students, being digital natives, and having access to technology since forever, somehow know how to use it appropriately. Just because Microsoft Word has been around for ages, it's easy to believe that somehow the skills that come along with using a word application program are ingrained in our students' DNA. As a teacher, because my students clearly know how to use basic programs like Word, I'm free to move on to more fun apps and sites! They'll be bored learning something simple like how to zoom, but one of the things I'm noticing more and more is that the adage where we "assume" anything about our students' previous knowledge is true. We want to assume (especially at the secondary level) that our students have had X,Y, Z skills covered in an earlier grade or class. For me, personally, by the time I get my freshmen in Applied Technologies (formerly known as Computer Applications) I'd like to think that my students know the "basics" such as saving, typing, opening new documents and applications, etc. Yet, when I have several students in each class ask me for the date so that they can place that at the top of their assignment, I inwardly cringe. Then I take a deep breath and cheerfully, with exuberant jolly, point their attention to the fact that there is a "calendar" icon in their dock which (GASP) shows them the current month and date! It's heartwarming and somewhat amusing how many students, our so called digital natives, find this little trick nifty! The audible gasps and ahas never cease to amaze me, but it's just another example of how tech basics are not genetically passed down to our children.
While the availability of technology is widespread in our current educational sphere and students have more access than ever before, there is also a lack of deeper understanding and knowledge of technology. When we're constantly bombarded with new sites, apps, gadgets, and tools in technology, it's easy for the foundational pieces to slip through the cracks. Even more so for the student population. When a new app, game, site becomes popular, students flock to it like it's Black Friday. The problem is that as soon as it's a hit, they're already on to the next, new thing. It's not their fault by any means, they're doing exactly what we're programmed to do as humans: survive in our environment. By constantly changing and adapting to the new "IT" technology, students are surviving and thriving in their environment. However, along the way, we still have businesses, colleges, and corporations that have a need for those basic skills from the Microsoft Office era. In addition to the increased focus on communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills-students also need to be able to function in the digital environment which they are entering. One which may be slightly outdated, yet definitely exists.
As a Business/Technology teacher, it's my job to mesh the current needs of businesses with the current skills and technology knowledge of my students to prepare them for the future workforce. It's a tall order by any means. And part of succeeding in my task means cheekily showing off the calendar icon, and another part of it entails leaning on my students for help with new and innovative ways of using technology that I might not even know about. Who knows, maybe the next Slither.io innovator is sitting in my class this semester :)
Like any good teacher, I internally reflected on my approach and decided that it was my use of slang that probably threw the students off. So in my next class, I clearly stated that I needed them to increase the size of the document from 100% to 150%. I still kept the self deprecating jokes about my eyesight and the request for help consistent. I was sure that my freshmen, who'd been exposed to technology since they were in diapers, were going to know exactly what I was talking about. Imagine my surprise when I got the same results as I did in my prior class. Most students went to change the font size. I was frustrated. It's such a simple task, why weren't my kids able to perform it?? I'd love to say that I had the patience of a saint and tried new tactics with my subsequent classes, but ultimately I needed the task to be performed. I ended up doing a quick demonstration at the start of each of my other 2 sections and had marginally better results with students understanding what I was asking of them when I asked for an increase in document size.
Now you may be thinking that I'm just being too picky as a teacher. I should be able to focus on bigger issues, but really, this is an indication of a bigger issue. As teachers, it's easy for us to assume that students are ahead of the game when it comes to technology. The common buzzword phrase is "digital natives vs. digital immigrants." We assume that our students, being digital natives, and having access to technology since forever, somehow know how to use it appropriately. Just because Microsoft Word has been around for ages, it's easy to believe that somehow the skills that come along with using a word application program are ingrained in our students' DNA. As a teacher, because my students clearly know how to use basic programs like Word, I'm free to move on to more fun apps and sites! They'll be bored learning something simple like how to zoom, but one of the things I'm noticing more and more is that the adage where we "assume" anything about our students' previous knowledge is true. We want to assume (especially at the secondary level) that our students have had X,Y, Z skills covered in an earlier grade or class. For me, personally, by the time I get my freshmen in Applied Technologies (formerly known as Computer Applications) I'd like to think that my students know the "basics" such as saving, typing, opening new documents and applications, etc. Yet, when I have several students in each class ask me for the date so that they can place that at the top of their assignment, I inwardly cringe. Then I take a deep breath and cheerfully, with exuberant jolly, point their attention to the fact that there is a "calendar" icon in their dock which (GASP) shows them the current month and date! It's heartwarming and somewhat amusing how many students, our so called digital natives, find this little trick nifty! The audible gasps and ahas never cease to amaze me, but it's just another example of how tech basics are not genetically passed down to our children.
While the availability of technology is widespread in our current educational sphere and students have more access than ever before, there is also a lack of deeper understanding and knowledge of technology. When we're constantly bombarded with new sites, apps, gadgets, and tools in technology, it's easy for the foundational pieces to slip through the cracks. Even more so for the student population. When a new app, game, site becomes popular, students flock to it like it's Black Friday. The problem is that as soon as it's a hit, they're already on to the next, new thing. It's not their fault by any means, they're doing exactly what we're programmed to do as humans: survive in our environment. By constantly changing and adapting to the new "IT" technology, students are surviving and thriving in their environment. However, along the way, we still have businesses, colleges, and corporations that have a need for those basic skills from the Microsoft Office era. In addition to the increased focus on communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills-students also need to be able to function in the digital environment which they are entering. One which may be slightly outdated, yet definitely exists.
As a Business/Technology teacher, it's my job to mesh the current needs of businesses with the current skills and technology knowledge of my students to prepare them for the future workforce. It's a tall order by any means. And part of succeeding in my task means cheekily showing off the calendar icon, and another part of it entails leaning on my students for help with new and innovative ways of using technology that I might not even know about. Who knows, maybe the next Slither.io innovator is sitting in my class this semester :)
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