Public
Activity Feed Discussions Blogs Bookmarks Files

Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

Technology In The Classroom-How Much Is Too Much

As an instructor I want to stay up to date with the technological information I present to my students that will help them learn about the subject they are studying. However I don't want to fall into the routine of showing a video every class period. I like having contact with my students in the classroom that helps me see that they really get what I am teaching and are able to show me what they know. I love seeing their faces when they have masterd a skill or finally understand what I am teaching and how that information applies to real world experiences. What is the happpy medium and how do I achieve it?

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

As teachers we must learn how to bridge the gap between the different cohorts that are in the classroom. Many people are experiencing lifestyle changes now a days, therefore many people are going back to school after being out of school for many years. I have found that there is a mixture of at least two or three of the different generations in the classroom. How do I as an instructor include everyone in each generation in the classroom learning experience?

GENERATION Y-PATIENCE

How does an instructor help a student from generation Y that does not know how to be patient and take their time when an important skill needs to be learned? Because these students are so used to getting answers instantly from the internet they also think it applies to every aspect of their learning experience. It is great that they are so brite but they have problems when things don't come easy to them. They want to give up to soon and quit. I find myself spending a lot of time encouraging them to keep going and not give up when they can't find the right answer or get a hands on skill mastered after the first or second try. Is there a way to help them understand that everything may not come easy and sometimes you have to work hard to reach your goals?

I'm a Gen X'er, but totally get into the Gen Y'er mode of technology

Even though I'm 44 and teach Photoshop & Web Design, I'm a Gen X'er, but totally get into the Gen Y'er mode of technology, I love it! I even see the multi tasking part of the Gen Y'er in me over the past 5 years, I can't stay on one thing and focus I need to check Google for a other thing I'm doing, and check my email for my web design clients, while I'm grading a class I just taught.

iphones inclass Gen Y

I understand that iPhones are a way of life for Gen Y As long as I see the student working in class and get the work done, usually the students that get the work done first have time waiting for the slower students to catch up with a lesson, I tell them they can work on homework, or use their iphone as reward. When students not getting their work done use their iphones I ask the to stop and do the work.

Giving out your cell # YES!

As for me this has worked out just fine they are only allowed to text me. This helps a lot when they are not going to come in for class or going to be late, as I do not have to call them myself it is a big time saver.

Limited technology

A situation that can become an issue would be when the student does not have internet at home and is unable to complete some of the computer assignments, due to lack of computer access.

Allowing cell phone in the classroom

For this generation involving cell phones as a part of their learning process can actually be very productive as it engages students with what they are very familiar and comfortable with.

Guide by their Side

I like this part. I have recognized for years that most everything I teach is a quick google search away. I have always made my students aware of this. What we provide is a filtering and logical presentation of relevant information as well as an environment that is conducive to learning and discovery. One thing that I unfortunately have to teach my students is what it means to be a student. I ask them what a student is. a. one who is enrolled in school b. one who attends school c. one who studies C is the answer No matter what experience we provide in the classroom, they must understand that true learning and life change is only achieved by their efforts in studying.

Technology: The Great Escape?

In my experience I find that the students who forego using there phones and computers in the classroom learn much better and test better than those who actually pay attention and take "Analog Notes". I accept this technology but I don't trust that Gen Y has the self discipline or discernment to use it in a purely beneficial manner. It is not really their fault. The technology is designed with many distractions. I could really go on about this, but I think I'll keep it short. In this course it says that Gen Y can multi-task by listening, taking notes and sending a text to a friend. That is just plain wrong. I test students on this almost daily and when asked to repeat what I just said they cannot.

Controlling the "use" of technology in class

I sometimes find it concerning that a student has a laptop or is facedown in a cellphone. Some of them take notes in their cell phone and laptops, but most times I find that they are actually on Facebook or focusing on something that is not the topic of discussion. Then they usually do poorly on the test. I hate to make them put away these devices that they live through, or restrict the ones that legitimately use this technology. Does anyone have any suggestions for controlling this for the benefit of the student?

Annoyed by this part of the module

When I went through this part of the module, I couldn't help but be irritated by it. I understand the issues with educating Generation Y folks. I understand that we have to adjust the learning environment to the needs of the class. But when I read the information about "Performance Contracts" and "Investigative Research", I could only just scoff as I continued to see more and more capitulation and stepped over my boundary. There comes a point in the classroom where we can talk all about generation differences and locating insights into the thought processes of people. But the student has to step up into the reality. I work for a voc-tech school that teaches people to prepare for the working world. The plain truth here is that there won't be any "Performance Contracts" like what was suggested in this part on the job site. The only real agreement on the job site is, do the job, get paid. Don't do the job, get fired. In the classroom, we have to be very careful about how much we "appeal" to our students and how much we hold a hard standard of what is required for students to be successful in the real world. Students in Gen Y fear the loss of their social media, but they're going to have to grow up annd realize that they won't be able to be on Facebook during work hours. They are going to have to adapt to more conventional, traditional processes. Our Gen Y students are going to have to learn how to adapt to more traditional methods. As a Gen X-er, I have been told about how I'm one of the "latchkey kids" and how I differ from the Boomers and the Veterans. But in the end, I had to adapt. I had to learn how to submit to authority and do things their way. They didn't especially capitulate to my sentiments. They didn't especially care about my past or "what makes me tick". They expected me to do my job to the very best of my ability. If I did it, I kept my job. If I didn't, well, I was given the opportunity to pursue other opportunities for employment. I am now in the position where I lead and train Gen Y's to go into the field. I will try to connect to them, but I won't spend remarkable amounts of time warming up to Gen Y's. I will set a standard and conditions and tasks for them to follow. They will meet them or not. No contracts - they will step up or stand down. Perhaps this isn't the kind of response this last module would have evoked. Perhaps I'm just cranky and overreacting, But I'm pretty irked about this one and I had to speak up. -R

My thoughts on Gen Y

I am a Gen X. I never thought about different learning styles until I became an instructor. After reading the material in the training module, I would have to say that I can agree with most of it. A few things I agree with is that Gen Y doesn't not learn well with long lectures, that they do want instant gratification, they are great multitaskers, and the do question the instructor a lot. But from what I have seen in the classroom, although they are very tech savvy, they lack the drive to push themselves. Instead of wanting to learn, they would rather socialize with others. And the biggest thing I see is the "I am entitled" attitude. The more I try to guide them to the correct answer the more they whine and say I am paying you to teach me so just give me the answer. None of this falls into the category that this lesson describes a Gen Y as. Regardless, I will continue to teach, guide and help all generations the best I can.

Sensory Disability

When the disability is not understood or recognized.Sometimes the person that has the disability doesn't realize that there maybe anything wrong,everything is normal from there point of view.Could this cause them to act out or become angry because they are misunderstood? Yes I think so.

Learning Disability

My daughter has a central processibng disorder...it didn't become apparent until 4th grade. After taking her to speech therapy they suggested she get a handheld devise where she could run it through there to make sure it was correct. She has used this device through high school and college and is now a Regioanl Sales Manager for a very large hotel chain. I wish I could remember what this was called so I could pass it along. Perhaps, something like this may help???

Physical Disability

While I do understand that schools are legally required to admit the student, frankly I believe they are setting the student up for failure. Before students are admitted to any program, they should be made aware of all physical requirements. In doing so, it will allow the student to make an informed decision whether to proceed with the program or not.

Attention Deficit Disorder

As stated in the course, the medication may regulate the symptoms of ADHD to various degrees, however not eliminate the disorder. Therefor, even if the student was taking the medication, there would still be a need for accommodations, appropriate classroom strategies which would continue to be beneficial in increasing the students' classroom functioning and academic success. Also, we are to provide reasonable accommodations based on the (proven) existence of a disability, while the management of that disability is part of the student's personal plan not for the faculty to decide what therapeutic practices the students should be engaged in. However, having said that, as instructors invested in our student's success, and as caring human beings, if we see a student struggling academically, mentally emotionally, I would feel it not only appropriate but necessary to inform the student of available student supports through the school's student services or outside agencies.

Psychological Disability

Students may suprise us by being able to do more than we think they can. Besides, we can never tell what a student is really going through on a day to day basis.

Psychological Disability

Why is it important not to draw conclusions about psychological disabilities based on your observations of a student in the classroom? Explain.

Attention Deficit Disorder

If medication exists that helps cut down on distractions and attention problems, shouldn't students with ADHD be required to take that medication? Why should we provide accommodations if they aren't doing their part?