21st Century Student

Check out these videos to see what it's like to be a 21st Century Student:





How will you be your own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations - is it your responsibility?

It is certainly my responsibility as a teacher to be my own agent of change in the classroom to meet student expectations. I have to be aware of where my students are coming from and what their lives are like. So when I teach them math, I can relate it to them in a way that is most beneficial for them. The amount of time that students these days are using technology is unbelievable high (as shown in both videos). Teachers need to take this into account and adjust their teaching in the classroom. If so many of their students are using technology in their everyday life, then maybe teachers should be relating their material to technology or using technology in some way in the classroom. One example given in A Vision of K-12 Students Today was that English teachers today aren't even incorporating digital soundtracks into the classroom. One way to reach students is by using media that interests them. As a future math teacher, I would want to incorporate as much technology into the classroom as possible to engage my students (Geometer Sketchpad, calculators, computers, etc). Writing on chalkboards are no longer exciting, but rather smart boards are the next new exciting technology to use in the classroom. Teachers need to figure out how to engage their students; Since technology is so prevalent in their students lives, incorporating technology into the classroom is almost a sure way to get students engaged and hold their interest.

As the video A vision of K-12 Students Today goes on to say, students learn by doing, so what are students going to learn by sitting at their desks and taking notes? I do not want to be the typical math teacher who just stands up and lectures by writing notes on the chalkboard for 50min straight with no interaction. While this might work for some students, the majority need something more engaging to hold their interest. How will I engage my students? By bringing technology into the classroom whenever possible! Many of the students in A Vision of Today also asked the question several times, How does this relate to me? or How is this going to help me get to where I need to be? It is the teachers duty to not only teach their students the material, but also to make sure they really understand its importance. They have to relate the material to their students lives, otherwise the students won't see the importance and quickly lose interest.