Journal 1

"Finding New Ways to Connect"
By Eleanor Yang Su

Colleges are changing with the arrival of the technology-savvy Millenial generation. Individuals from this generation have learned to integrate the latest technologies into their lives. For some professors, teaching "Millenials" can be a challenge: they have to compete with students' compulsive multi-tasking. It is dificult for professors to make an impact in the classroom when there are so many potential distractions for students, including e-mail, instant messaging, and text messaging, all during classtime. However, this recent emphasis on technology in college instruction is encouraging the incorporation of multimedia components into classes, allowing students to connect with their professors and the course material through technology. Some common technology tools being used in college classes include online discussion forums and course websites that include course materials. Some college campuses are even beginning to incorporate student-only online chatting services and text-messaging systems for faculty and staff. While there are some who argue that technology does not improve student learning, many college campuses are working to keep pace with technology-minded students. Some schools are hiring students to help faculty to consider new ways of incorporating technology.

My Questions:

1. As a teacher, how will I include technology in my classroom and curriculum?
As this article points out, today's students are very technology-savvy, and technology is becoming more and more important in today's society. As a teacher, I will need to incorporate technological tools into my instruction in order to engage my students. I think it would be beneficial to set-up a class webiste that is accessible to students and their parents, allowing them to be informed and up-to-date with the class schedule, assignments, and current events. This site could also include a discussion board for students who have questions or comments for me or for their peers. I also think it would be very beneficial for every student to receive and email account which they could use to contact me directly with any questions or comments. Other than these online resources, I think that it would be very important to incorporate multimedia components into my actual instruction. These components could include digital audio and video, multimedia presentations, and interactive/educational computer software.

2. How will I make students aware of appropriate technology usage during class?
As a teacher I will be responsible for teaching my students how to use technology in an appropriate and responsible manner in and out of the classroom. A common problem that was addressed in the above article is that students multi-task during classtime. I think it will be very important for me to inform my students that while I encourage the use of technology and high-tech communication, these resources must be used appropriately during classtime. It is not appropriate to be communicating via instant message, e-mail, or text message during a lesson. Additionally, when using the internet it is important to stay on task, not just randomly surfing the web and visiting favorite sites (i.e. myspace).