Getting UP on their level

In the past, teachers were taught to get down on a student's level in order to engage the student in learning. Now, we are being pushed to get up to their level via technology integration. Not only is technology integration a change in the instruction forum, but it is also a complete paradigm shift in how we relate to our students. Gone are the days of "do this because I say so". Students today require more, and that is not a bad thing. 

Each generation has its own personality. In the past, we were grouped in terms of Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. These distinctions were based on observations of personality, tenacity and desire. Now, we are divided into Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants1. Our students are Digital Natives. They have never known a life without the Internet, Cell Phones or Email. They communicate via Social Media and web based applications. 

So what does this shift to educational technology mean to teachers...

1. Students know more than us - at least about certain aspects of technology. Instead of looking at this as a problem, treat it as an opportunity. It is widely acknowledged that students learn better from their peers, so having a student teach a lesson on technology that they are familiar with is a win for everyone. It also gives students who struggle socially a place to feel in control. I had a student with Aspberger's Syndrome in my class that not only struggled socially, but also academically. He was, however, gifted with a 3D drawing program called Sketchup. In trying to find an interest to motivate him in my computer class he showed me his drawings...they were amazing! I asked him if he would share them with the class. He was reluctant at first, but once he showed the class what he had created every student was genuinely engaged in learning...learning from a child who was failing other subjects and had very few friends. His mother called me that night to tell me that for the first time in his life he came home excited about school. Engaging students at their level can have miraculous results!
2. Parent communication is easier than ever - Thanks to Social Media, school websites, email and collaborative websites (including Google Sites, Edmodo, Blogger, just to name a few) keeping parents informed of what is going on in your classroom is just a few click away. Whether you are a 1st grade teacher who wants to privately share photos from daily activities via Shutterfly share sites or a high school teacher wishing to publish the projects of a class onto an active site via Webnode, keeping your parents and community informed of all you do is very simple.
3. Higher-order thinking is the new normal - Integrating technology brings with it an organic link to the top of Bloom's taxonomy. Students have to gather research and synthesize information into a product such as a website or a Prezi presentation. Students of all ages are learning how to draw conclusions based on their online research and form their own opinions based on facts gathered through technology mediums. Sharing their findings can be prescribed by the teacher or you can let the students select their own method of sharing, which is another exercise in critical thinking. 
4. You can teach lessons disguised as fun - Thanks to sites like SuperTeacherTools, teachers can engage students in games that are created with the specific lesson plans. Creating a 3D model in Sketchup is a fun and exciting way to teach skills such as measurements, calculations and physics, while grabbing the attention of the most inattentive students. Part of the fun of teaching with technology is hearing students say that we "just played" in class today, when we actually covered an entire Course of Study Objective.
5. You can hide lessons inside of lessons - My favorite part of teaching with technology is that I can teach objectives from two unrelated subjects at the same time. While I am teaching students how to use spreadsheets, I am also teaching them the fundamentals of personal finance. Time value of money calculations that illustrate to students the power of investing young not only gives them a financial lesson, but also teaches them how to use functions in spreadsheets. For elementary students you could teach them how to create a properly formatted letter to a historical figure in a Word Processor. That would touch on three subjects (social studies, computer technology, and English/grammar) and allow them some room for creativity as well.
6. You can address multiple learning styles in one place - Everyone has their own learning style. As educators, we know the importance of teaching students in multiple styles. There are scores of mind-mapping tools to assist with visual learners. Podcasts can be created using a variety of online tools and assist auditory learners in comprehension of subjects.  Kinesthetic learners can be reached using a host of tools. Hands-on simulations are available based on subject area in a variety of websites, usually listed in the teacher materials that are included with your text.

For more details and resources, stay tuned to this blog.