Education, Teenagers, and Technology (Feedly-Week 6)

Generation Text, as referred to in 6 Innovative Ways Students Are UsingTechnology, is currently using technology daily inside and outside of the classroom.  Long gone are the days of waking up to an alarm clock, students download alarms apps onto their Smartphones and tablets and start off their day using technology.  The only person in my house who still owns an alarm clock and uses it daily is my husband, who happens to be in his forties (LOL!).  Blended and hybrid classes are also being held across the country, which I think is a great idea.  Students are using technology to review lessons online, take quizzes which produce immediate results, and provide instant feedback to classmates and teachers.  I have seen teachers use applications which require students to reply to questions during the lecture using laptops, smartphones, and tablets.  I believe this makes each lesson interesting and fun while providing instant feedback, much like a game show.  Teachers ask questions during the lesson and students will respond to multiple choice and true/false questions and their responses are immediately provided to the teacher using this application.  An educator can them immediately assess if students are responding to the lesson being taught. Technology is also providing interactive learning labs which expose students to experiences and projects which may not be available to them otherwise.  Students are receiving hands-on experience through technology.

I have always thought of Facebook as a social media application and not an educational application.  Facebook for classroom use concerns me because of the content posted on Facebook accounts but Must-Have Facebook Guidelines for Teachers offers some suggestions which seem safe for classroom use.  Since everyone, from children to grandparents, seem to have a Facebook account this type of social media can make communication between teacher and parents easier and more convenient.  Educators can make a page and create a group completely separated from their personal Facebook account.  Facebook pages and groups can keep both parents and students up to date on assignments as well as showcase student work.  Facebook can also be a safe place where students discuss assignments and provide feedback to classmates and teachers.  Keeping parents and students connected is extremely important and 21^st century tools such as Facebook can help educators accomplish this.