Group items tagged

These are representatives of the Net Generation. They all use computers in their class work and in their hobbies. They have a wide range of interests, outside their chosen area of study. They are not locked into one thing, although all are highly motivated and pursue their interests with passion. They use the latest in technology, whether cell phones, computers, PDAs, MP3 players, or digital cameras. They expect things to work properly and work fast. They get bored if not challenged properly, but when challenged, they excel in creative and innovative ways. They learn by doing, not by reading the instruction manual or listening to lectures. These are the learners that faculty must reach.

This is a liberating shift. As teachers spend less time creating presentations and more time crafting powerful learning activities, they will find that material is covered with more depth and retention the first time around, saving them time and energy in the long run. Moreover, by allowing students to be explorers and designers, educators show that they believe in their students’ abilities and validate each student’s contribution to the class.

Middle schoolers might take it a step further to discover and develop steps for graphing a reflection on a coordinate plane. Exploring as a real mathematician would, students try to understand, analyze, and evaluate their experience to answer the posed question.

Kindergarteners create image-based movies on recycling and insects; First graders develop PowerPoint presentations for “My Time to Teach” projects to share with the class; Fourth graders prepare for their statewide standardized writing assessment by developing elaborate digital storybooks on free web 2.0 sites such as Storybird (www.storybird.com) or StoryJumper (www.storyjumper.com). Fifth graders collaborate to launch a Web Safety Wiki to teach other students worldwide about digital citizenship (wildcatwebsafety.wikispaces.com).