Currently educators are preparing students for their future jobs. Did you know that “the top 10 jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004”?(YouTube) We are preparing students for jobs that do not exist and more importantly it is pointed out that these jobs will include technology that has not even been created yet. In order to prepare students for these jobs educator must teach the students adaptability keep them up on current changing technologies to prepare them for their future jobs, whatever they may be.
Current students are said to be digital natives. They have grown up with increasing technology including cell phones, internet access, texting, facebook, and personal computers (Prensky, 2001). How can educators teach the students to get the most out of the technology available making it beneficial for every student? “The idea is simple: technology has changed the way people think, work, and learn. And if technology has changed the way people learn, maybe the next step is for it to change the way teachers teach” (Prensky, 2001).
Access, the Digital Divide, and Special Populations
The idea of access and the digital divide is much broader than some may initially think. While there may be many students that have access to computers and the internet, they may not be benefiting from that technology, most likely because they have not been taught correctly how to use the technology in meaningful ways. The digital divide website explains the digital divide well stating "Digital Divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (www.digitaldivide.org).
The digital divide has increased the education gap between low income populations and the rest of the population. Districts that are wealthy are getting the newest technologies, preparing them for future jobs that will no doubt require extensive use of technology. As that goes on, poorer districts do not have the fund to gain these new technologies. Without these funds, the students are being prepared for their futures using outdated technology and are not acquiring many of the skills that will be needed in the workforce in years to come.
At Exeter Township, there is not a glaring traditional digital divide; the vast majority of the students have computer and internet access available to them at home. We have decent technology given the Classrooms for the Future Grant, which equipped many classrooms with interactive white boards, lap top carts, wireless internet, etc. To close the digital divide at Exeter, we do not need to throw tons of money into the technology, but rather need to provide teachers with the much needed training on the current technology, as well as open up the technology for students to use before and after school. Educators at Exeter need to teach students the application of the technology that can help them in everyday life or prepare them with the technological skills that they may need in future jobs.
What can we do as a district?
1. Invest in more teachers training to equip the teachers with the needed time and understanding of the importance of technology as well as the uses of technology that can benefit their students, preparing them for their future jobs. Many of the current teachers would be considered digital immigrants. Mansy believe that they think differently and need to be taught the importance of technology in this ever changing world, but also need to have the resources and skills needed to include the technology in meaningful ways in the classroom. “Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But that assumption is no longer valid. Today's learners are different" (Prensky, 2001). Due to the changing in the learning styles and methods of current students, teachers need to be equipped to best educate these students using the technology that is available.
Technology coaches are currently used through the Classrooms for the Future Grant. Their job is to educate the teachers that are receiving the new technology (laptops, digital cameras, internet, video cameras, and interactive whiteboards) to prepare to incorporate that technology into their daily teaching. A technology coach should be made available for training in small groups or individually multiple times throughout each school year for each teacher. This time should be used to teach the educator ways to use technology in the classroom and to work with the educator to create activities that would be beneficial to their students.
a. Pros- When the teachers become more educated on the technology that is being added to the classroom environment they will be more comfortable to try new things with that technology. They will be able to assist the students through activities that teach them to problem solve while incorporating technology that will be essential for them to understand when moving into the ever changing work force. This will help students to realize the beneficial ways that the can use technology, such as the internet, rather than just playing games and activities that do not benefit them in the long run.
b. Cons- The training will require the district to pay for subs while the teachers are working with the technology coach. They will also need to pay the salary of the technology coach once the Classrooms for the Future grant is finished.
2. Open up the media center for more time, before and after school, to allow students to come into to work on the applications and projects that they may be working on for school. The media center also needs to have an adult that is very current on technology to help the students when they have questions or to help by giving them resources and ideas using the newest technology.
a. Pros- This will help to close the digital divide and negate any access issues that may be present in the district. If students are given access before and after school, those that do not have access at home will be given the chance to work on their technology skills. Those students that do not have computer access at home could stay after school and work on projects and then go home on the activity bus. The adult can also work extra on students that seem to have difficulties with technology and teach them the skills needed to successfully complete the projects. They can also teach them real life application of the internet and computers.
b. Cons- There is a small cost involved in opening the media center for these extra hours. The district will have to pay the adult to work the media center for the extra time. It would be beneficial for the district to use a teacher that is very technologically savvy and pay them hourly for the extra time that they put in to work in the media center.
WORK CITED:
EdHUb, (2008). Classrooms for the Future. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from Classroom for the Future Web site: http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475/overview__background,_purposes,___outcomes/202800
Prensky, Marc (October 2001). Digital Natives Digitial Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9, Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from youtube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking
Ushering the Second Digital Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from Digital Divide website: http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/index.html
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