I
definitely would be part of the Digital Generation. I use my iPhone constantly.
I love texting and talking on the phone. You will never see me without my phone
in my hand or on my ear. I also have three different gaming systems. I have an
Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3. I do not play them that often when school is going on,
but I do play them when I can. I also use many different social medias. I have
a Facebook, twitter, instagram, and pinterest. I use many of these daily. When
I am not using my phone to text or talk to someone, I am on a social media
network. I love using the Internet, and honestly I do not know how I would live
without it. It is so helpful, especially with being a college student.
I
think these portraits compare to life around me in everyway. Many of my friends
are gamers just like many of these children. This is something they do on a
daily basis. I myself also enjoy gaming. It is a way to entertain you. It is a
world you can escape into. I also believe that many of the students I know and
will have someday in my class will be gamers. This trend is huge and I see it
only increasing in the years to come. Everyone I know is on social media. This
ranges from many ages. I first signed up for Facebook when I was a freshman in
high school. Kids today usually do not wait that long. I know students that I
have worked with that are in the fifth grade who talk about having a Facebook.
This is something that is not uncommon in today’s society. I may not agree with
this, but that is how it is. Some of my peers are bloggers like the kids in the
portraits. This is something that I do not find as common as people being on a
social network or being a gamer, but it still happens. I also think that with the
increase of technology this will be something that more and more people do. All
of the children in these portraits use technology on a daily basis. This is how
I am, my peers are, and kids from K-12 are as well.
I
have always viewed technology as a great thing in education. I still believe
this. With the way that technology is rapidly increasing, I think it is
important to incorporate it into the 21st century classroom. In many
of the schools I have been placed in throughout college, the students have
their own iPad. On these they pay games that are educational. They can play
these games when they have free time. This allows the children to be learning
and practicing skills throughout the whole entire day. They also have fun while
learning with this method. Children love using technology. It is something they
have grown up with. They watch people around them use technology everyday. They
become curious and intrigued. I feel that when you use different forms of
technology while teaching the children will be more willing to learn and listen
because it is something they believe is fun and interesting.
When
I think of 21st century learning tools, I think of ways to use
technology to help students learn. I would consider the iPad with the
educational games to be an example of this. The teacher may record the student
while they are presenting a project. They could then have a conference using
the video and talking about what worked and what didn’t. The students may use
wiki and/or blogs in their classroom to present a presentation. These are all
ways that 21st century learning tools can be implemented in the
classroom.
