Syncing Up with the iKid: Connecting to the Twenty-First-Century Student

Josh McHugh’s article about how to effectively reach students was really surprising. I did not know that there were so many different kinds of media available in terms of software which could be so useful in the classroom. The Moodle program in particular seems as if it would be a rather versatile tool in its capabilities as an online community. The idea reminds me a lot of the Blackboard system. Using such a system may even have more potential that a class blog alone. I especially like that this system uses online tests and quizzes as yet another way for students to receive immediate feedback about their learning and understanding.

What really surprised me was the statistic that “27 percent [of teachers surveyed] have little or no training with integrating computers into lessons” despite the fact that “more than 70 percent of teachers at all grade levels believe computers are an important driver of student learning” (McHugh, 2005). These statements lead me to believe that more adequate training is needed for teachers, both in teacher preparation programs and for current teachers, so that our students benefit from the advantages that a technologically rich curriculum can offer. It will serve no purpose for technology to be integrated into lessons if the technology is not used properly, or in a productive manner. We cannot integrate technology just for the sake of meeting a curriculum standard. Doing so will not improve our effectiveness as educators, nor will it help our students to learn and understand.

I had not really thought about it before, but the idea that classroom experiences are not matching the students’ everyday lives is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. All of the education experts that I have been reading over the past few months insist that classroom learning experiences need to be personally relevant to students so that the students will achieve maximum understanding and will experience quality learning. However, by not effectively integrating technology, which has an ever-increasing role in students’ lives, students are not experiencing learning in the same way that they would in learning experiences outside the classroom. The students willingly research topics of interest on the Internet, teach themselves how to master the newest gadgets or video games and gladly communicate their ideas through text messages or emails every day. It is no wonder that they are not particularly enthused about book research, hand written compositions or other “normal” classroom activities. I know that we cannot expect a complete overhaul of the education system, but there is no reason that educators cannot begin taking inventory of what their students enjoy, how they enjoy learning and what is important to them in order to integrate useful technology into classroom lessons. Our goal as educators should be to combine the best of the traditional classroom with the best of the new in order to create a learning environment suited for the students of today.