I need to read more chapters like this one because I learn so many new things. I am second to last in the rankings of tech-savvy teachers in my building...but I'm trying. Just this year I learned how to use both Blogger and Google Docs. I haven't mastered them yet, but I have enough proficiency where I can use them somewhat effectively as I learn more.
One thing I never thought about before reading this chapter is how when students use the internet to research a topic, they must first summarize an idea, and/or formulate a question in order to focus their internet search. I will never see internet searches the same way again.
One negative aspect of using technology for instruction is that sometimes its not dependable. In our building, it seems like whenever it rains, the internet is down. Aside from classroom related problems, some students (and on a larger scale, some school districts) may lack access to new technology. I know from my own experience, that adult education classrooms typically don't have the newest technology and many times lack funding to upgrade what they do have.
Still, with all of my doubts and nay saying of technology, I still see the amazing way that social media brings people together. In the chapter it talked about the ability of social media to help us both cross boundaries and experience new ideas and cultures or connect in an e-community to expand our identities to include new communities of their choosing rather than the ones we were born into. This is a wonderful tool for many EL's who are struggling to find a new version of themselves as they learn about a new language and culture.
A major aspect of growing up as a Generation Z teen or tween is access to technology (it is second nature to many students).
ReplyDeleteEven my two year old is very savvy as well and uses our phones to video chat with her grandparents without us initiating the video call. Of course, when I was two (in 1979), folks were mostly using typewriters and landlines.