Blog C

To be an educator is a noble task. To shape the hearts and minds of the future generations is a sacred and honorable responsibility. As the 21st century has come into focus, we can clearly see new materials available to the American citizen and to teacher alike. It is almost remarkable how quickly new technologies had cared themselves a niche into the fabric of our modern society. In many cases, the children of today have a different sort of education than those of ten years ago. Technology has crashed on to the scene in a big way, and clearly it’s not going anywhere. As educators it is our job to use these new technologies to not only educate about, but also with.
Students today in many cases could really teach their teachers a thing or two about computers and other popular technologies. It may even be a bit intimidating for teachers to even begin to use technologies, if they have survived this long without. These situations can breed all sorts of responses to technologies, all of which students will readily pick up on. As elementary school teachers, it is our responsibility to model a confident and comfortable individual. This includes a person who is willing to embrace change and a person who is willing to step out on a limb to learn new things. As future teachers we need to keep these things in mind.
In fact, there are a number of things out there that can really make the life of a teacher easier, in more ways than one. For example, the amount of assistive technologies available today has greatly influenced how far we can reach, and has served to raise the bar for students who would be cast aside otherwise. Without technologies we would never hear the words of a Steven Hawking or allow a mute student to speak. I will be the first to admit that at times it can be difficult to understand and maintain patience for a piece of electronic equipment or computer application, especially if it is new or foreign to the user. As teachers, we need to realize that this is true for our students as well. While they may never have learned a different way to do things first, they are also learning this information for the first time in their lives. It is still our responsibility to present this information to our students.
In fact, perhaps this information is even more important than other information to give to children. As many of us have discovered or heard, many new technologies need to be taught in order to best protect our children. With the added ability to communicate that technology has brought, it also brings a number of things that are not safe or appropriate for children. I think all educators would agree that they take the responsibility of keeping their students safe very seriously. As we delve further into the 21st century, we can see that the reality is that all students are affected by technology on a regular basis. What a fabulous opportunity to teach our students something valuable to their lives.