This essay examines the necessity of technological literacy in modern education systems. It defines "screenagers"—young people raised on digital devices—and argues that schools must evolve to meet their needs while balancing tech integration with fundamental skills and character development. The paper addresses how teachers can leverage technology as an educational tool rather than a distraction, discusses the role of proper training and support, and proposes that education become a holistic lifestyle where students learn collaboratively both in and outside traditional classroom structures.
How many times have we heard our parents say, "When I was your age…"? We listened to their stories of how they actually had to walk to school, go to the library to research a paper, or get up to flip the switch on the television set. Technology has forever changed the world as we know it and has become integrated into every aspect of our everyday lives. Nowadays, our children are no longer interested in reading and writing the old-fashioned way. They do not want to go to the library to research a paper they must write. They are far more interested in typing an essay on their laptop or reading a book on their iPad. Instead of making cardboard posters, they want to make PowerPoint presentations.
We have no choice as teachers but to keep up with these changes and developments. We are now entering into the world of screenagers. Technological literacy must be included in the education system as it provides an outline and pedagogy for the new literacy needed for living, working, and becoming a citizen in the twenty-first century. Technological literacy aids in equipping society with the skills needed for lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Rather than let technology be a burden and challenge to the foundation of education, it should be embraced and integrated cohesively with school curricula.
The ideal school and classroom must support the twenty-first-century student. The ideal school must be engaging and attract both students and parents alike. Education and schools should become a lifestyle.
An ideal school equips children for the future, and the future is on a screen. Hence, we need to have children who are technologically advanced; otherwise, they will not be able to keep up with the world. As educators, we must be equipped to assist our students in using technology as a tool for growth rather than a way of life—a resource rather than a main component of education. They will constantly need to use technology and computers and keep up with worldly advancements, but we cannot neglect the basic people skills that might be neglected along the way.
The term "screenager" was coined 15 years ago by author Douglas Rushkoff in his book Playing the Future. He used the term to refer to young people who have been reared from infancy on a diet of television, computers, and other digital devices. On the surface, screenager is just another mildly annoying made-up word, like edutainment and infomercial. Look deeper, however, and the word contains a clear implication: that teenagers are somehow more different than they used to be because their brains have been permanently altered by constant exposure to technology.
A screenager is a young person who has a propensity for computers and the Internet. This is the type of student we need to adjust our schools for, since the new generation will be more or less computer and technologically savvy. Schools should not begin at 8:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM and continue only at home. The ideal school would begin at 8:00 AM and end at 5:00 PM. This would give students ample time to not only learn their lessons but also practice what they have been taught. Ending school earlier in the afternoon does not enable enough time to practice what has been taught. Rather than have students dismissed early, schools should be a place where they can think and be creative continuously. Although students will have the option to continue their studies from home since it will be accessible online, the extended school day provides crucial practice time. In school, we are not only educating students on basic subjects but building their characters. We must sculpt them for the society they will grow up in, but at the same time, we must not lose sight of the values that uphold society. We should not only be concerned with teaching the math lesson but with putting it into practice.
The ideal school must take into consideration the society that its students will join in the future. For almost all jobs, you must have some sort of knowledge or experience with technology. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states that more than 50 percent of today's jobs require some degree of technological skills. That percentage will increase to 77 percent in the next decade. The International Data Corporation stated that in 2011, one out of every two jobs required information technology skills. In less than 10 years, that number will increase to three out of every four jobs. With this kept in mind, we have to find a balance and ensure that while students will be technologically savvy, they will also uphold the values that are important in any successful society. We cannot neglect the enduring need for the paper and pen. We just need to make sure we balance it with the growth and changes that are currently taking over the world.
The emergence of technology has helped shape the way people communicate, interact, collaborate, operate, and form social constructs. Many tools are used in the classroom, such as books and pens as well as smart boards. We need to figure out which category technology falls into in the classroom. Is it one of the tools we will use, or is it a way of life? As a concept, it concerns an array of tools, such as media, machines, and networking hardware, as well as considering theoretical perspectives for their effective application. Essentially, all the visual and hands-on tools used in the classroom fall under the technology category.
The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a study in January 2010 and found that the average eight to eighteen-year-old spends seven hours a day with digital media. These are staggering numbers. The world is changing, and although there are so many negative aspects to technology, educators must adapt their instructions in a way that engages these students. Students are engaged in a different world outside of the school environment, but there must be a way to gain their attention inside the classroom as well. Technology can be compared to a double-edged sword, which can be used effectively or ineffectively. Regardless, technology must be implemented in an ideal school. An educator does not need to use the most advanced technology, but must be confident with what they do intend to use.
Students are now becoming increasingly digitally literate, and this should be utilized in the classroom. An ideal school must have guidelines and policies created for educators which ensure that students are prepared to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. In a study conducted by Cengage Learning, 74 percent of instructors report that the move towards implementing digital technologies in the classroom has increased students' academic performance, and 73 percent say it has improved students' engagement with their courses. Less than 1 percent reported it has decreased performance or engagement significantly. An ideal school must integrate and include technology in order to prepare students for the future.
Technology can have a reciprocal relationship with teaching. The emergence of new technologies pushes educators to understand and leverage these technologies for classroom use; at the same time, the on-the-ground implementation of these technologies in the classroom can and does directly impact how these technologies continue to take shape.
The previous observation describes how education and technology can go hand in hand. One of the problems that can be faced is that teachers are learning how to use most technologies without formal training. Teachers are knowledgeable about their curricula and content, but when it comes to technology, they often learn along with their students. While teachers might focus on teaching students first-level technology skills—which include how to work the technology—many teachers ignore the second-level skills of knowledge integration and a deeper understanding of analyzing information. This shows that while the teacher might have basic technological skills, integrating that into students' learning is a skill that is required.
In an ideal school, we must use our students' strengths and harness their knowledge. The ideal school will link what students know with the knowledge that teachers want to demonstrate.
An ideal school must have teachers who have the ability to demonstrate to their students how technology can be used for academic purposes. The teachers must have the proper training and support to allow them to convey the educational advantages of computers and the Internet. Since our students cannot be sheltered from the outside world, we must continually guide and support their learning process. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of web users doubled and was expected to surpass two billion in 2010. These statistics show the immense growth of Internet usage over time. The ongoing progression shows that we must adapt ourselves to this new environment. Our job as educators is to shape the children of the future. If the future includes the Internet, then we must shape children who have the tools to survive in that environment.
With the proper teacher training, it is possible to avoid the negative effects that technology does have on students. Children now rely on technology for the majority of their play, grossly limiting challenges to their creativity and imaginations, as well as limiting necessary challenges to their bodies to achieve optimal sensory and motor development. This shows that in a sense, technology has taken over children and their development. They are so influenced by so many different thoughts and ideas. Once you become aware of the problem that technology can—and in some cases does—cause in children, it becomes possible to try and find solutions to the issues.
In many schools, technology is integrated without adequate support and training for teachers. This causes major complications with the learning process and allows the negative effects of technology to take place. In an ideal school, teachers must receive adequate training before they are allowed to integrate technology into their classroom environments. Technology is not merely integrated into the classroom but into the curriculum as well; therefore, the proper precautions must be taken before implementation. Teachers must know how to use technology but must be comfortable in doing so.
For years, students have been pumped with information. They have no choice in what they study or the method in which they receive the information. There is something that almost all students in all countries have in common: they all want to play. How can we use that point in our favor and attract them to education? You must create an environment for them that is unique and think outside of the box. Learning is not a black and white process. We must attract students and use their strengths in our favor rather than try and compete against them.
Social reconstructionism sees the major task of education as precisely this—the reform of society through education. In order for an ideal school to reform society through education, first we must analyze some of the flaws in most societies. Violence, for example, is a huge issue in many societies and is often promoted and made reachable by technology. However, schools can be a place where this negative energy is altered. Students should be encouraged to research in a library and then present electronically, for example, the negative effects of violence. This will give students a chance to be independent, use both the library and technology, and give them an opportunity to feel as though they are leaders and learn from each other. After all, they will one day be the leaders of our society, so they must start training for their positions. The ideal school will give students the freedom to learn not just from the teacher but from each other. It will not be just a traditional classroom where the teacher shares all information and students listen. When they learn from each other, they are sometimes more inclined to listen and absorb the information.
Students are the future of society. We must decide what type of people we want to join our society and then think about how we will reach that goal. Do we want people who are merely goal oriented and will provide monetary benefit to society? Do we want people who are caring and environmentally conscious? You must build the ideal character and then decide: How can this goal be achieved?
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