Chapter 2: Students and Learning

This chapter brought a good overview of several aspects of technology in education. In general the chapter deals with how students are viewing technology differently than teachers would view it. It is no longer something that we simply go to for information, but a source of interaction, engagement and resource within education. I remember 3rd grade very vividly because we were very engaged in the activities that we did. We did a lot of "hands-on" learning. Likewise, the "hands-on" learning may have shifted to included more "technology-on" learning, for lack of a better word. Just as I enjoyed and engaged in learning on a kinesthetic path, the students today engage both on a kinesthetic path and a technological path, which are often integrated. Moreover, the students in today's school systems are becoming more literate than the teachers so much so that the students are ahead of the teachers. For example, I interned at Mt. Olive 1st grade and they were using a Smartboard, and catching on with the use within days of learning.
Futhermore, this chapter discussed how today's technologies are interactive, which further builds on the "technology-on" concept. Like it was mentioned in class, students probably know how to manage social networking programs more effectively and thoroughly than "an educational site". The challenge then becomes for teachers to tap into those social networking skills in order to more effectively educate the students. For example, I have heard of a teacher that used Facebook for use in Social Studies. They had the students create a facebook for account for Abraham Lincoln. I believe that activities like this one would both achieve educational objectives and reach the students at their level.
Another one of the big ideas that I have continued to grapple with is this concept of differentiated instruction. For years, that has been a topic that educators have delved deep into with the purpose of meeting the needs of each student. To me that seems intuitive. We are being paid as teachers to educate students. No where in our contract does it say, "Only the Jones and Smiths of the class". Intuitively we would want to find ways to individualize instruction because no two students are alike. That being said, I do agree that technology would more effectively bring tools to the forefront for students to be able to be engaged in a more beneficial education.
Finally, in this chapter it deals with PBL once again. This method has been used and proposed in the field of gifted education (of which I am studying). For gifted students, particularly, they grasp tightly to working for "real-world" reasons in order to find "real-world" solutions. In my opinion, to some extent, especially in this technology era, all students, both gifted and mainstream students can use this method. As a consumer, or student, you want to know that what you are doing in the classroom, or the immediate present, will benefit you in the future.
Overall, technology in education brings the world that our students are living in to life. We must adapt to the culture in order to continue to provide quality education.