Lenhart, A. (2013) “How do [they] even do that?”: How today’s
technology is shaping tomorrow’s students. Pew
Research Internet Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Presentations/2013/Dartmouth_Student%20of%20the%20Future%20040913v7_fin_clean_PDF.pdf
This presentation on how technology is changing today’s learning
environment was very informative. As a 30 year old, born in 1984, I feel like I
have seen a huge transformation in technology in my lifetime. It was really
interesting to follow Elizabeth’s childhood in this presentation and compare my
own experiences to hers. Being 11 years older than her, I feel like our experiences
are completely different! I know 11 years is not that long, but when talking
about technology it is! I can’t imagine how generations older than me feel when
reading a presentation like this!
Hearing the age of some technologies was alarming to me…like
email being 27 years old and PC’s 20 years old. I am surprised that email is
almost as old as me! I know we didn’t have it in our home that long ago, but
then again, I’m sure most people didn’t. The PC pictures in this presentation
looks like the one I remember from when we first got a computer. Wow how things
have changed. Equally alarming are the percentages of teens with access to
technology. I am not surprised that most teens have a computer in their home,
but the fact that 67% use email does shock me. After teaching 8th
graders at my church, I am convinced that 67% may HAVE email, but only about
10% USE email. I also noticed that teens tend to change email addresses often.
They want a cute name to match their interests for the year, and then change it
when the next fad comes in. I remember creating me first email address in high
school, and I still use the same personal email address…15 years later! I also
find it hard to believe that cell phones are 17 years old…then again, I forget
about the mobile phones that were in cars only before the actual portable
phones came out. The fact that 78% of teens have cell phones does not surprise
me at all. I have fourth graders in my class with cell phones! I got my first
cell phone about half way through my freshman year of college, because I was
living in OK and my family in TX. This generation, growing up never knowing
life without instant communication is living an entirely different childhood
than I did only 20 years ago or so. Not only the fact that they can communicate
with anyone at any time…but also all of the other features the smart phones
offer. Driving directions, facebook, calculator, calendar, bank access, etc.
Everything is at our fingertips! I know the tiny little Nokia phone that I
first got could only make calls, and possible text message…I can’t remember! As
stated in the article, “Mobile devices have fundamentally changed the
relationship between information, time, and space.” So true!
As for all of the data about Internet usage, I think it is
wonderful the world we have access to via the Internet. Today’s younger
generations are so blessed to be able to access information so easily and so
quickly online. I was surprised by the statistic that 14% of teens keep blogs.
This encourages me to keep a classroom blog. I thought teens could care less
about blogs…much less writing their own! Maybe having my students keeps a blog
of their own would be a good idea. That would be a good way to integrate
technology, encourage writing, and monitor learning. I am not surprised that
70% of teens use Wikipedia as a source for information. I am not sure I like
that fact. Wikipedia is not known for being an extremely credible source, and I
know that most students depend on it as their primary source. I think this site
is a good starting point for research to get an overview of a topic or find
basic information to research further, but should not be the only source used
in research. Does this generation know what print encyclopedias are? Do
classrooms and libraries typically have a set, or do they only use online
versions?
As for Facebook, it is crazy to think that it has been
around since Elizabeth was in elementary school! It does not surprise me that 82%
of online teens use social networking sites, but I do wonder how many are on
them with their parents’ permission and if their parents monitor what they post,
who they interact with, what they read, etc. In Elizabeth’s lifetime, many
social sites like this one have become available, many of which can be used in
the classroom. YouTube came out when she was in 4th grade. This can
be a great educational tool, if used correctly. I was surprised that only 27%
have recorded videos on YouTube. I thought more teens would have experimented
with this media. It was scary to read that 37% of teens use video chat! Who are
they chatting with…grandparents via Skype, or strangers?! I was also surprised that
only 11% of teens use Instagram and only 3% use it the most often of all social
sites. I thought most teens were leaving Facebook and going to Instagram. I
wonder what social media site they are migrating to? I love Instagram, and now that
I have ideas of how to use it in the classroom, I hope to use it even more! I
guess it is a good thing that less teens are on it than I thought, because that
means less teens are taking photos of themselves and their friends and posting
them publicly.
Internet had truly changed our world, both socially and
educationally. Today’s generation will not have the problem of not being able
to keep up with their friends after they leave high school. With social media
sites, cell phones, Skype, etc. they will have access to their friends nation-wide
and even world-wide! I remember at my high school graduation party in 2002
getting calling cards to help me be able to call my friends and family. Once I got
a cell phone, this became so much easier! And now with Wi-Fi almost anywhere,
students can access e-mail, video chatting, Facebook, etc. to keep up with the
friends and family. Education itself has changed tremendously due to
technology. I was not shocked to hear that 270,000 youth go to virtual schools.
My sister-in-law teaches on a virtual school for students who are competitive
athletes, behavior cases, severely ill, etc. These students can access her
classroom and school work anytime from anywhere. They complete their work
independently for the most part, and self-direction is a driving factor for her
students. I loved the quote from the article that “Young people are desperate
for learning that is relevant and part of the fabric of their social lives,
where they are making choices about how, when, and what to learn, without it
all being mapped for them in advance.” The Internet gives students the freedom
to guide their own learning. I thought it was interesting that some schools are
moving to the “flipped” classroom, where students watch lectures at home online
and in class they are doing activities, practice, etc. I think I would love to
see this in action and see how the students handle it. It sounds like a great
idea!
Technology is obviously a huge part of today’s classroom, virtual
or not. I remember only having an overhead projector in my classrooms as a
child, and now students have digital projectors, computers, digital cameras,
smart boards, tablets, and the list goes on! I feel like the possibilities are
endless with the ways in which technology can support and enhance instruction. I
found it interesting that teachers differ on their opinions of how technology
effects the classroom. Teachers that are not impressed with the changes say
that students are too easily distracted, overloaded with information, and have
a hard time finding credible sources on the Internet. I think these problems
could be easily fixed with some training on how to integrate technology and how
to teach the students to use the Internet and technology. The teachers that
love having the Internet in their classrooms say that students get a wider
range of resources, their research habits improve, and they become more
self-sufficient. Technology and the Internet definitely bring lots of change
and confusion, but more importantly it brings opportunity for growth and
learning that did not exist before!
Mining PEW – 43 pages (108 total)
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