When we complain about students using social media or technology irresponsibly can we really blame them if they've never been taught how to responsibly use these tools for learning?
Focusing on the learning objective vs. what tool or technology to use is critical
That’s not to say that students don’t need to know how to write essays, says Ms. Huff, but using both traditional and more modern learning techniques can open the door for more opportunities and modes of expression.
Parents who try to secretly monitor their kids' online activities are wasting their time and should use an approach that builds trust and allows for conversation, says a psychologist who has studied texting, social networking and other online pursuits.
"Your job then is to learn and to assess, and to now use your parent radar to see if there might be any problems."
they are understanding a complex text and making sense of it within the context of their own lives. No parent wants more, no teacher does, than for kids to be able to not just "read" Shakespeare but to understand why his work still speaks urgently to the present, why it is worth taking the time to read all that odd English from another time
We are not responsible as educators unless we are teaching not just with technology but through it, about it, because of it. We need to make kids understand its power, its potential, its dangers, its use. That isn't just an investment worth making but one that it would be irresponsible to avoid.
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