Our world is constantly changing and evolving. Every day, new research pertaining to our fields is published. As professionals, it is our responsibility to be aware of this research. We don't have to necessarily practice everything we read, but being familiar with new and emerging information helps us to be better and more effective educators. And the better and more effective we are, the more beneficial we are to our students. That's why I thought looking over research for this week's assignment was very interesting.
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Photo courtesy of http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/
speak-up-2016-trends-digital-learning-june-2017.html |
One statistic that really stuck with me came from Project Tomorrow's
Speak Up Report. It states that,
"Technology leaders (67%) say that the greatest challenge they face in implementing digital learning or expanding technology use is motivating teachers to change their traditional practices to use technology more meaningfully with students." This really stood out to me. I would have assumed that the biggest problem was actually getting access to technology. Instead, it's just encouraging educators to step out of their comfort zone for the benefit of their students. This is important to know, because this directly impacts the students. If a teacher is really set on their ways of teaching, they might need to step back and really consider how effective their methods are. Their traditional teaching methods may have worked in the past, but we are teaching 21st century students. Our teaching styles should reflect this.
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Picture courtesy of
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ |
The next statistic that interested me came from Common Sense Media's
Plugged-In Parents of Teens and Tweens Report. It reports that,
"94% of parents have positive attitudes about the role of technology in their children's education". This means that most parents really want their child to be exposed to technology in education. This is very important for teachers to be aware of, because it can shape how you run your classroom. If you have the technology available to you, I feel that teachers may be more likely to start really incorporating it into lesson plans if they know that parents are very supportive of technology in the classroom.
Now, let's take a look at one statistic from a nutritional standpoint.
McCrindle is an Australian based research company. They have some fabulous research about everything from geographic trends to social norms among the different generations, and everything is compiled into organized visuals like the one below.
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| Photo courtesy of http://mccrindle.com.au/ |
What stuck out most to me in this graphic was the health portion. As an RD2B, I'm very interested in any new health research. But the fact that 77.9% of males and 61.8% of females from Gen Z are predicted to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adulthood is alarming. This means that being overweight and obese will be, according to the statistics, "normal". More people will be overweight or obese than not. We need to know these statistics now, so that we can start addressing this immediately. Kids that have poor eating and activity habits as children are more likely to grow into overweight and obese adults. These numbers are proof that changes have to be made, and hopefully we can prevent them from coming true.
Wow- we had the same about the 67% of technology leaders say that they are having a hard time to motivate teachers with technology. I have noticed first hand! I think the saying "old dog, new tricks" applies here. Getting someone that has taught for a very long time to change to a different worksheet or curriculum is a challenge, let alone incorporating technology. I do not believe in the saying "it has always been done this way". As you stated in the beginning of your blog, the education field is evolving constantly. Our learners are evolving! I only graduated high school in 2010 and even since then it has evolved a ton! We weren't even allowed to bring in our own laptops! I agree with a teacher taking a step back and coming to terms about their methods. Reflection is a huge part of being a teacher!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested that you thought accessing technology would be a bigger issue than the teachers' motivation to include technology. I am at a private school where each student has their own iPad, so I never even considered the potential fact that students wouldn't have access. Really shows how much I'm living in my own bubble, yikes! I love that you touched on the data of obesity. When we integrate more and more technology into our students lives we have to think of the pros and cons. As educators, we need to consider the overall well being of our students; physically, emotionally, intellectually. If we know that technology is contributing to overweight children, maybe we should assign a project that gets them up and moving as well! Thanks for the input!
ReplyDeleteTo echo Kara thank you for speaking from the nutritional stand point. While the stat McCrindle gave doesn't directly relate to technology it is still a very important stat that needs to be addressed. As teachers we need to educate the WHOLE child so knowing information such as what was shared about Generation Z can only make us better educators.
ReplyDeleteI have watched as veteran teachers have met new technology with varying attitudes. The same goes for newer evaluation practices. I always try to keep in mind that I've had the benefit of being trained with technology at the forefront of my practice and that I've grown up with technology. I always wonder what the struggles will be that I will have to overcome when I am a veteran teacher 15-20 years from now.
ReplyDelete"the fact that 77.9% of males and 61.8% of females from Gen Z are predicted to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adulthood is alarming."...I couldn't agree with this enough! This is one of my biggest fears as a parent. It is so very easy to say, "Hey, Piper, go grab your IPAD mommy has to to laundry...or go watch cartoons so I can do this.." My fear is that we do the same as teachers. What do students do when they get done early or we have under planned our lesson for the day..we say go grab a Chrome book and check your grades. I feel like technology is and has come along way in education, but often times I feel like it is also crippling. Our students are less active and less attentive.
Delete"77.9% of males and 61.8% of females from Gen Z are predicted to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adulthood" The first thing I said was "WOW!" When I think about the average child today, I see them spending long periods of time on social media or playing games. As a teacher, I think its important to not only incorporate technology into our lessons but also incorporate physical activity. We should definitely be allowing out students to move and be active in school.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing on the Speak Up report. That statistic says a lot but also at the same time, does not surprise me. I know many teachers who are 'old fashion' and refuse to change the way they have been teaching. Sometimes I feel like it is because they may not be knowledgeable when it comes to technology and others I feel like its a lot of effort to change what you know, learn something new, and integrate it into instruction effectively.
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