Multimedia Technologies and Familiar Spaces: 21st – Century Teaching for 21st – Century Learners
Lambert and Cuper discuss the difference between teachers that grew up without a lot of the current technologies and the “digital natives” that they are teaching. This generation of digital natives is “the generation that has spoken the language of technologies from birth” (Lambert & Cuper, 2008). With this difference, educators must realize that these natives learn differently than the learners from the past.
It is noted that “today’s students must learn how to think deeply about their learning so they can realize their place in a rapidly changing, global society. They must learn to apply technology tools appropriately in order to process multiple perspectives on real-world problems and formulate solutions to these problems” (Lambert & Cuper, 2008). We must realize that today’s students are much different than previous students thus teachers must change their teaching methods. One point that is mentioned is that teachers should become aware of the NETS or the National Education Technology Standards for Students along with the NETS for Teachers. These are standards that have been set up to give teachers an idea of what students should be able to do and know when it comes to technology.
Ideas for using technology within classroom environments focused on the concept of nonlinear thinking. By using software such as Inspiration and Kidspiration to create mind maps was one way of doing this. Students were able to map out the key points to a concept without writing a traditional outline. Blogging, creating web pages, and podcasts are also ideas on how to use the technologies that the students are experiencing as a way to have them express what they know and use the technologies that are interesting to them.
Lambert, J. & Cuper, P. (2008). Multimeida technologies and familiar spaces: 21st-century teaching for 21st-century learners. Contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 8(3). Retrieved on October 8, 2008, from http://www.citejournal.org/vol8/iss3/currentpractice/article1.cfm