EDU 776 Blog: Andy Dunning

(Image source 21) “Gen Z-ers were shaped by the economic pressures their families and communities faced ... Thus, they value the stability that comes with conservative spending, stable jobs and smart investments.” Values of Generations Z, Alpha Shaped By Technology People of earlier generations see technology, such as cell phones and internet capabilities, as a tool they can use to help improve their lives. Members of Generation Z, as well as the emerging Generation Alpha, see technology as an extension of their lives. And they are a large and growing group: the youth population grew from 72.4 million to just under 73.4 million kids (Casey, 2020). This affinity for technology plays a role in so many facets of their lives. It’s how they view their world, and this includes the values that they hold. Among the values of Generation Z is the need for financial stability, according to researchers. “Gen Z-ers were shaped by the economic pressures their families and communities faced, from the...

(Image source 20) “for the rest of your life, you won’t be judged by test scores. You’ll be judged by the kind of human being you are, and the kind of work that you do.” Putting Students in Charge: Active Learning for Student-Centered Classrooms Some traditions are best left in the trash bin. For instance, the age old model of teaching, where the teacher lectures and the students take notes, isn’t a useful tradition. It’s time to throw that model on its head and begin to implement a student-focused classroom where kids learn by doing.  As an example, former sixth-grade teacher Ron Berger threw out the class curriculum in order to give kids an opportunity to take control of their own education. The students came up with projects that contributed to society in a meaningful way. His students learned by doing, and they were learning skills that they would use outside of school. “For the rest of your life, you won’t be judged by test scores. You’ll be judged by the kind of human being y...

  (Image source 14) " Every few days, it seems, I add a new app, bookmark a new website, or follow a new twitter user. " Discovering a New World on My Digital Space: Mapping a Path for Success Why is it Important? We're living and working in a new paradigm. One where old ways of doing thing--and teaching things--is supplanted by technology that is constantly evolving. Technology, especially the World Wide Web, have become the biggest resource teachers have. As David White says, "Now that the Internet has been in widespread use in educational establishments for around 15 years, it has clearly become the source of information chosen first by seekers, regardless of age" (White, n.d.). With all these changes, it is especially important to take the time to review the technology we are using. In addition, teachers must teach and model the value of technology in school. The myth of the "digital native vs digital immigrant" leads us to assume that teachers can...

(Image source 10) “Teachers will continue to be challenged to use education technology to make learning engaging and design lessons with content that is much more relevant to the students they serve” (2021, Valenzuela) Get your game on: Social Emotional Learning gets Gamification with new tech What is Gamification? The Gamification Theory in Education proposes that students learn best when they are having fun, and that by designing educational materials that turn routine, often boring subjects into a fun activity leads to greater engagement and long-term learning (2021, Valenzuela).  Such materials use a variety of features found in games: avatars, narrations, journeys, earning points, among others. Video gaming is a great platform in which to utilize this theory. “Because of the addictive features of video games that intrigue children (and adults) and get them hooked, it’s only natural that we see similar engagement results when these game-based elements are applied to learning ma...

(Image source 8) "As the U.S. has become focused on standardizing learning and outcomes, making sure that students are using their time to meet learning goals is even more vital when integrating technology." The Triple E Framework What is it? The Triple E Framework, developed by Liz Kolb, is a measurement tool that teachers can use to evaluate how effectively they use technology with the curriculum (Kolb, n.d.). The framework, oddly enough, contains three elements: engagement, enhancement, and extension. All three of these elements refer to the learning goals. Looking at engagement, teachers need to ask themselves how well they use technology to engage students with the material that leads to their learning goals. For enhancement, teachers should ask if they are using technology to enhance those goals, rather than just replace an existing technology (i.e. textbooks). And with extension, teachers consider how the technology takes the curriculum out of the classroom and into th...