Journal #3

Greenhow, C (2008). Who are today's learners?. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4107&ContentID=21638&DirectListComboInd=D

This article is about current students and technology. The article explores students’ feelings on all aspects of technology as well as student suggestions for the implementation of future technology. The wide ranges of students interviewed have very positive feelings towards technology and believe it should play a bigger role in classrooms. This article also broke the false belief that all children are not proficient in technology, especially students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The study referred to in this article did not find significant differences in students’ proficiency in technology based on their socioeconomic status. Most students also reported that they had strengths in word processing, PowerPoint, and basic internet use. However, most students reported that they were not familiar with more complex things like creating web pages. This led some analysts to believe that students may not be as technological advanced as we think. Regardless, the students were able to provide helpful suggestions for how they would like to see technology used in the classroom.

Question 1: What is the most affective way to assess students’ technological abilities?
Answer 1: The most affective way to assess students is to use all different types of assessments. It is important to assess students formally as well as informally. Formal assessments can include actual tests conducted on a computer or other technological device. Informal assessments can be student questionnaires or observations and anecdotal notes. Also classroom discussions can be used as a form of assessment on the students’ knowledge of technology.

Question 2: Is a technology based classroom really the best form of teaching?
Answer 2: I don’t believe that any classroom should have one specific base for learning. I think that the most affective way of teaching, now and in the future, is to incorporate all types of learning styles. This means incorporating forms of technology, kinesthetic, visual and auditory activities in the classroom. Technology is important now and it will be even more crucial in our future, but we still need to produce well-rounded students.