Tech Savvy Young People Push Us to Keep Up: Adapt or Struggle in the Digital Age

(SafeGuarde)

As a teacher in the digital age, it is hard for me to imagine what life in the classroom would be like without technology. Project Tomorrow reports that 68% of teachers report being better able to differentiate in their classrooms. This is definitely a statistic that I am not surprised by because technology has better allowed me to provide resources for students at varying levels who occupy the same class time. In the first school that I worked in I had students ranging in reading levels from 2^nd grade to 12^th grade that were placed in the SAME test prep class. By providing them with different online learning programs, I was able to move from group to group and focus my instruction based on results collected from online learning platforms.

Technology certainly allows students to apply their learning in new and meaningful ways. I have also found that students are more likely to want to engage in the work if there is a technology-based element.

One statistic that strengthens my aforementioned thought regarding differentiation points out how blended, flipped, and virtual classrooms better allow the instructor to provide students with individualized attention. This is so important for student growth. Students that must complete assignments, interact with others online, and engage in virtual domains cannot hide from having to participate, and in turn, students that normally might not engage as much as others in the classroom are able to flourish because they can participate freely as they choose without the stress of on the spot thinking and cold-calls.

K-12 Students’ Digital Learning Infographic reveals “2x as many students w/Chromebooks now vs. 2014,” which is a huge growth in young people having access to technology in only a three-year span. I don’t remember being on a computer until much later in my academic career, and when we did use computers it was only for brief amounts of time and for short projects. It is so exciting to see how tech savvy people are getting at younger and younger ages. As a result, that means it is teachers’ responsibility to learn these emerging technologies and implement their use within the classroom. Traditional modes of learning are still useful, but should be used in conjunction with applications and other mediums for students to explore and further their education.