Middle School students are inherently social in their activities. I think there are very few times when middle school students would not try and complete an activity in class in a social manner. I know that most of my students work better and more efficiently if they are allowed to communicate while doing so. That being said, it is very important that the activity be structured so that students are able to utilize the learning time to learn effectively the material that is being discussed. I can plan a great webquest or a wonderful collabrative activity but if students are not grouped appropriately, if expectations are not clearly set for the students, if the activity is not monitored appropriately then students will not benefit from the learning experience. Dr. Michael Orey discussed that, "New technology forces the 21st century learner to process and apply information in a very different way and at a very different pace from any other time in history. As a result, the span of time between learning something new, being able to apply it, and finding that it is outdated and no longer useful continues to decrease." (Orey, 2001) So students will need to focus more on being able to apply the knowledge than being able to remember facts and dates, application of knowledge in real life situations will be key to student success in future employment. Therefore, we need to prepare students with "real life" application problems in our classrooms today to help them prepare (Pitner, et.al, 2007).
I feel that it is important for students to learn socially, I think that we are increasingly living in a society that is socially connnected. Students are connecting with other students on social networking sites for personal reasons, I see no reason why they would not be enthusiastic about having an opportunity to connect with others for academic reasons as well. In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, students are encouraged to work with other students to develop the skills in collabrative groups which will benefit them in the future with jobs (Pitner, et.al., 2007). I would like to explore more of the simulation games and activities with my students and to figure out an effective way to incorporate those in my classroom. I know my students play those types of games for social purposes, I would like to see them becoming that engaged in a game for an educational purpose. I think that more and more jobs in the future will require employees to interact with people that they may never meet physically, I think we need to give students the skills to learn how to do these things now, so that they are prepared in the future.
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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I too believe that it is important for students to learn socially. Our students today are more connected then I think we know. It seems like everyday I find myself finding new inventions or ideas about how the students communicate nowadays. I believe the key is to bridge the gap between social purposes and the educational setting. Preparing students for the success after school is the key. If we could relate technology to job skills then I believe the students would be excited. My school district is in the dark when it comes to how powerful technology can be in a social educational setting.
ReplyDeleteI agree, most of the things we learn about are blocked or limited by the school system I am in. I am curious when I get back to school on Monday to see if the voice thread is blocked as well. I can see that as a very neat interactive tool to use with students. I really like the fact that there are so many options and ways to comment on the postings. I think that will give students access to the materials and skills they will need in the future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that social learning is a great way for students to learn and helps prepare them for the future. I read what addyrobin said and blocking is a problem in our school. I was able to find who was responsible in our district for blocking or unblocking sites. Now when I find a site that I want to use, I can email that person and ask for a site to be unblocked. Many sites tend to be blocked because an administrator has not heard of it or it's potential! Keep trying!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea. I think sometimes things are blocked because of the unknown or the name of the site not because of the content. I appreciate the suggestion!
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