Math, technology, education, and beyond

…buy into the whole idea of using technology in the classroom.  I came back from Christmas vacation, and I haven’t had a moment to catch up on old work.  I have a desk and cabinet-top (and part of the floor) full of work that I have no idea when I’ll get it done, and that’s ok.  If it’s not already been completed, it can’t possibly be THAT important, right?  It is so great to see these teachers taking these risks to use this new technology and new ideas in their classroom.

…buy into the whole idea of using technology as an educational tool, and not just as a way to socialize and be entertained.  Today’s high school students know a lot about technology, but mainly when used to socialize (Facebook, MySpace, IM, etc.) and for entertainment (games, music, movies, etc.).  That’s all well and good that they’re using the technology for a purpose.  What has me worried is what I saw when I visited my sister and saw how my 7 year old neighbor was surfing the internet.  He wasn’t playing games.  He wasn’t talking with his friends.  He was learning.  He was using this tool to expand his knowledge of the universe, and he was doing it unsupervised.  In other words, he is expanding his knowledge on his own.

This should scare today’s high school students.  My nephew is 10 years younger than them, but he’s using technology in a way that my high school students do not.   What’s going to happen when my nephew’s peer group enters the work force?  They will be more focused on using the technology in a productive way, and business leaders will see this.  And they will replace their workers who have been there for ten years whose productivity isn’t what it should be.  And these younger people will have no problem with forcing those others out.

That puts this current high school group in a precarious position.  They NEED to learn how to use the technology in a productive manner.  They NEED to learn how to work with others and to try new things and to take risks.  They NEED to be challenged in and out of the classroom.  They NEED to demand that technology become part of their education, because if they don’t do these things, they will be left behind.

It’s kind of scary to think that for the most part, this current crop of high school students is not ready to use this technology.  Many of us view them as “digital natives,” where they have had this technology in front of them their whole lives, and they have.  However, the digital culture and digital climate have changed, so they are no longer in their native world.  It’s now time for them to evolve and adapt, and we as educators NEED to make sure we are helping them to realize and accomplish this.