Teachers need to understand their students to provide the most effective method of teaching. Before a teacher can teach a student they must understand the student. Teachers should take the time to be in the students’ shoes. Figure out the new fads or what most teenagers like doing. Mark Edmundson explains from experience “If you wanted to understand students you must figure out the major motive of technology.” Knowing what has an influence on a specific student or students in general, the teacher can develop the best method of teaching their students.
It’s no mystery that the major motive of technology on students today is the computer. Practically everyone owns one because it is practically a necessity in today’s society. I would not be able to take courses here a Chapman University without my laptop. Not only do I need my computer to register for classes and type up papers, but I use it to look at my grades, assignments, get announcements from teachers, download worksheets, or take a writing in a electronic environment course. You can go to college with your only school supplies being a computer and printer and manage to do just fine. But besides from school work most teens spend countless hours a day surfing popular social websites such as: MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. The computer and internet has integrated itself to be a large part of our modern day culture. Teachers should use teaching methods that involve the computer and other internet fads.
Since computers and Internet are such an influence on students, teachers should recognize how the computer affects their students. Mark Edmundson says the computer has developed a generation of students that are very smart, very restless, very impatient and like to skate over surfaces as quickly as possible. Although it is an over generalization, it is completely true. There is an endless amount of information over the internet which has created a smarter generation of students. With a click of the finger I can figure out the world largest bird. Everything today in today’s society is fast. There is fast food, text messaging, instant messaging, and the internet. College students quickly learn that time is of the essence. We don’t have the time to cook food, because we have to write an essay so we use our best friend the microwave. The internet is like reading a million books at once. You can obtain so much specific information in a short amount of time. This has made a generation of restless and impatient students. Students tend to just skim read over the internet. They look for key words and just get the idea of whatever their reading. It is not like a novel where you need to read every word so you don’t miss any details. Teachers should teach to the tendencies of their students. If teens are generally impatient and restless, a nice long lecture probably wouldn’t be the most affective way of teaching.
On the other hand, Will Deresiewicz didn’t observe students “bond” with their computers. Not all students use to computer as excessively as others, but they use it enough. Deresiewicz says that he notices at Yale, extracurricular activities are the center of students’ lives. Which could be the reason why they don’t use the computer to the extent of other college students. There are some students who use the computer just enough to get by. They are the type of teenager who doesn’t like to be cooped up inside, but rather do outdoor activities. If the computer doesn’t appeal to your students, then figure out what does appeal to them. Figuring out a students personally, likes, and dislikes can help you figure out how to teach them.
From experience, the best way to learn is to have while learning, and that can only happen if the teacher knows what the student likes. If a teacher develops a better relationship and understands of the students, the teacher can help the student in a specific areas the student has trouble and bring the areas the student excels in. Knowing the tendencies and fads of teens helps teacher how to go about teaching their students. The teacher is like the ruler of the classroom. The ruler should know their people in order to lead the effectively. But to know your subjects sometimes you need to get on the same level as them.
1 comment:
What is the presupposition behind your first paragraph: that knowing the fads or what teenagers like doing will help professor communicate subject matter better. This is debatable, so defend it.
Hyperlink the Mark quote.
Teachers should use teaching methods that involve the computer and other internet fads. ::::: Second time you’ve mentioned fads: what’s so great about teaching fads? If you’re going to advocate them, you have to defend them.
Okay, you make a good case for how computers are affecting students. But you don’t make the jump to whether teachers should play into that habit (restless, jumpy) or actually try to teach against it (try to teach students how to concentrate - monotasking).
You have some good specifics in here, and you obviously have an opinion, and you quote from the bloggingheads video well. What I’d like to see is deeper examination of your own argument, a testing and defense of your own presuppositions, and a more nuanced argument presented.
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