Success with the Net Generation

I find it interesting to learn that many of the net geners do not have ample access to technology. I was surprised to learn this fact while reading chapter eight. I guess I just assumed that because they are the net generation, they would have all of the newest technology and know how to use it! Learning this fact helps me to feel a little less intimidated about teaching the net generation. I know I still have a long way to go and so much to learn about technology, but I do feel more at ease knowing that some of the students will not know more than I do!

Technology brings on a whole new aspect to teaching. It helps prepare students for lives of creativity, citizenship, and social responsibility as well as success in a workplace. IT opens up new and engaging ways to learn. I would like to use technology in my classroon to enhance student's learning. I would like to use it as another tool to serve as a link between active and passive, individual and group, and transmission and generation of knowledge. By using technology, students can more easily express themselves, contribute their commentary, provide expertise, and otherwise participate in potentially wide-ranging conversations. It opens the door to students and allows them to be themselves while learning and teaching others.

I think for me to be a successful teacher, I need to incorporate technology into my classroom and make learning more interactive. I can do this by using animation, concept inventories, WeBWork, Ask NSDL, The Molecular Workbench, BugScope, and the use of cyberinfrastructure. Cyberinfrastructure can help us teach difficult and important material that requires more sophisticated modeling, simulations, and visualization.

Technology is like a giant mirror that reflects back to you and your own deepest issues. It sheds light on how we interact with our students and how they respond to our courses. It forces us to think about the real meaning of community. I think it will take a lot of work on my part as a teacher to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology, as well as researching what is good and eliminating what is not so good for me to be successful with the net generation. I am excited to learn more about technology and the ways I can use it to enhance ever student's educational experience!