Teaching Screenagers

Waiting for me on the counter last Thursday evening was the latest issue of Educational Leadership.  It was a good read.  With each turn of the page, I revisited many of 21st Century discussions I have been frequently involved with over the past few years.
As I reflect on my career as an educator, change has been a constant.  It is the nature of the world we live in.  We are learning more everyday about how the brain works, how children learn and what best practices help us teach the students that come to us.  We also know that students come to us immersed in technologies that no other generation has experienced.
"Screenagers"(know as the iGeneration) have a tech world open 24/7.  Our kids don't question the existence of technology and media.  They expect it!  Their audience is no longer limited to the four walls of a classroom or dining room.  These students are aware of the global audience.  They Google, Blog, Facebook and Twitter all over the world using their iPod, iPad, Wii, or iPhone.  They access iTunes, internet, and applications to interact, entertain, communicate, problem solve, collaborate and create.
Education may be embarking on yet another incredible adventure and evolution.  Yes, change is a constant.  As we move into the future, we have to consider the world our students are engaged in outside of school in order to engage them in learning.  It isn't all about the tools we use.  It is about good teaching, responsive teaching, and engagement.  It's about embracing the learners we have been given the privilege to teach, knowing how they think and learn, and embracing the challenge to make teaching and learning better.

"Teacher's shouldn't be afraid of technology.  Understand that it's how we live our lives.  So don't just push it out.  Learn to cope with us and how we work." (pg. 46)

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