So, it is with this in mind that I share with you an infographic sent to me from Jenica Rhee. It is called The Digital Promise. What do you think?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Social Media and ALES204 Students
In academia there continues to be a lot (a lot!) of discussion about the pros and cons of allowing (or enabling?!) students to use social media in class. There are quite a few (the majority it seems) of professors and teachers who think students should NOT use laptops or smartphones in class. They are a distraction is the oft' touted reason. Well students of #ALES204, you know I think differently! And, in many of our lectures I've tried to highlight why it is so important that we all learn to become digitally literate. It is more than just using Facebook, but learning to use it for specific purposes (like to promote oneself for a job) and learning to make some aspects of our profiles private. We're also learning that tweeting about research-related information can generate new connections - possibly even with future employees.
So, it is with this in mind that I share with you an infographic sent to me from Jenica Rhee. It is called The Digital Promise. What do you think?
So, it is with this in mind that I share with you an infographic sent to me from Jenica Rhee. It is called The Digital Promise. What do you think?
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I think Digital Promise Program is of great importance! Since the technology is developing day by day, it is great to combine advance technology with learning experience and use the technology to improve learning experience. As President Obama mentioned, Digital Promise is ‘to use technology to help student learn and teaches teach’ because it will provide new ways of learning including personalized learning experience, which can reduce the weaknesses of using only one strategy of the teacher to teach everyone in the class, and online tutors, which let students can have a better understanding of the learning material even when school’s stop.
ReplyDeleteI also have experience of learning with the help of advance technology. For example, I used Aplia to do my Economics assignment online. By using Aplia, I don’t need to worry about handing the assignment in a particular place. All I need to do is to press the ‘Submit’ button, and the assignment can get marked. In addition, this online assignment provides explanation on every question and can help me have a better understanding of what I learned.
Overall, using technology with learning experience can provide convenience in study for students and teaching for teachers, and it is a great way for students to learn some basic technology in their daily life.
I agree that it is becoming increasingly important to integrate technology into the classroom in order to prepare students for jobs late on in life. A basic understanding of computers is now a requirement for many jobs. Obama's efforts to prepare children for their jobs later on in life are admirable.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to have a balance between technology and traditional learning, particularly to prepare students for a variety of different jobs with different skills and to suit different learning styles. As fast as technology is advancing, there will still be skills that are going to be essential for jobs that cannot be developed solely through technology, such as presentation skills and group work projects. As for learning styles, some people learn better and prefer to learn from physical textbooks and by doing projects out by hand. I think that a balance between technology and traditional learning would best serve to prepare school children with skills that they need for their futures.
I agree with Julie's comment, I think there needs to be a balance between traditional teaching means and technology. Like Obama stated, we need more technology in our schools to enhance students learning experience. It definitely is more convenient being able to complete assignments online and have the ability to seek help with when needed, whenever it is needed; this is a huge enhancement for any student's learning experience. However, I believe that face to face conversation and the use of textbooks are still very much important in ensuring a quality education. I prefer to read textbooks than to read online for example, and if I had a choice I would choose to meet with a tutor in person rather than online. People skills are still, and always will be, very important in the job industry; it is important that these are still developed and not completely overridden by the use of technology.
ReplyDeleteLove this! Really makes you think. Everything is online! Also, check this out!!
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/A_RU5OCYYYw
I wish we had more online classes now. Online classes will allow us to learn from anywhere we want. Therefore, we don't have to waste the time getting and going to school everyday. Instead we'll have that extra time to learn.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting concept. Teaching people how to use computers is a great skill to have. I know there are jobs I wouldn't be able to do because I don't have a lot of skills with different computer programs. However, I work at a job now where everything is on the computer and I just had to go through training to learn it. As long as the job offers some training on the programs I think most people would be able to pick it up.
ReplyDeleteI think having access to homework and homework help online is great though. It's a wonderful way to make sure everyone is getting the help they need at any time of the day.
However, learning social skills is still very important and we need to make sure that with all the increased technology we aren't losing those skills. Even if you can run every computer program in the world, you won't pass the interview stage if you can't talk to people.
I think that using technology in class is important like all you have mentioned. I also think that more students should be aware that social networks such as Twitter and Facebook don't have to be solely for connecting with friends, like the infographic says Gabriela is doing, but they also help to connect with professionals like we have learned. Since technology is being developed so fast, I definitely think it is important to have it incorporated into classrooms but it does not necessarily have to become the only way of teaching. Rosalind, you mentioned that you would like to have more online classes, I would have to disagree with you on that because I enjoy going to classes, meeting new people and getting to know my peers as well as connecting with them through various social mediums. Overall I'm glad to see the Digital Promise Initiative being implemented and I think it will be beneficial for future students and employers.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how different my children's (when I have them) learning experiences will be than my own. Even now kids who are in elementary use iPads and smart boards, while I used chalk boards and then white boards in the latter part of my education. I think the Digital Promise will change the landscape of jobs and eventually the knowledge that I possess will be obsolete. Really makes you think, especially since post-secondary education costs so much.
ReplyDeleteThis document was intersteing. While I agree that being "tech-savvy" is a currently useful and increasingly neccessary skill, and that electronic media and social technologies can enhance the learning experience, I think that is is possible to have too much of a "good" thing in this area. For all that Twitter, Facebook, Slide-share,Blogger, etc. are useful for communicating inforamtion between people and assisting in learning, interacting with people in a more personal capactiy is of far greater value both for learning and communicating ideas. I think this interaction often falls by the wayside when people are trying to run and manage umpteen different computer media programs rather than being aware of other people and/or critically assessing content - the most important thing for education to do. We may well take it too far and lose the more valuable skillset in favour of the more trendy tech. If this course has taught me anything, it is that the stress and time involved in trying to have and use 10 different versions of social media along with everything else that needs attending to in life far outweighs the benefit; even with courses, paper is far easier on the eyes than LCD screens and juggling too much tech just distracts from the retention of more useful information and thorough contemplation of the material. After all, at the end of the day, are all these social media and education assistance (note: not education-replacement)programs so dissimilar that just being familiar with one or two won't prepare a person to use the others should jobs require it? Perhaps smaller class sizes would be of equal or greater value in the public school system. It's good teachers-not tech- that make the biggest difference in learning for children.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather stick with Facebook (for now) and Email, use electronic media as an education tool rather than replacement, and use the rest of my time to actually interact with people or learn specific skills that won't be obselete in 5 years.
These infographics are always great!
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of my classmates, that it is important, and there is a time and place for technology-however it should not overtake meeting a person face to face. I don't think the education system should ever go as far as having online schools-as we all need the social interaction. However, technology implemented within the school system would benefit a student. It would can foster a learning environment that some will embrace and fly with. And for others who are not so interested, even just the awareness will allow them succeed in future endeavors.
I think that the problem we will have to overcome in future is finding that balance between maintaining our ability to communicate effectively with people, one-on-one, and using social media to its fullest potential. This technology will only expand from here on in, so I think it is imperative that schools integrate it into the curriculum; as long as it is used in a practical sense. I certainly don't think that students should work solely on computers, since this would negate acquiring that balance in abilities.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these posts! They are a great way of presenting topics for discussion.
I totally and completely agree with this!! Such a good idea. I feel digitally illiterate, and I feel like I was not exposed to new technology enough during my school years. At home I did not have any technology either, so it was hard to become comfortable with it. Now being in University when most things are becoming electronic, I feel a step behind. Because the way of life is changing and becoming more electronic, I think children and teenagers should be introduced to programs that are online so they are prepared for university and the workforce.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that being "tech-savvy" is an important skill to have, in general I think basic computer skills is all that one really needs. As with a few of my fellow classmates pointed out, there needs to be a balance with this style of learning and the traditional method. I don't think that being able to be very tech-savvy is an essential skill to possess, but more so being adaptable. Yes, the future may be transitioning to a digital world, but that discounts the rest of society who wasn't exposed to this and will continue their traditional style of learning. I think that future students need to be able to learn in an environment that does not revolve around computers and electronics, because what happens when one day this digital world collapses?
ReplyDeleteI think online classes is a great idea to have once in a while. Learning how to use specific sites to help yourself in the future is very effective. I wouldn't know about half of the things I know now if it were not for my Ales 204 class. However, if everyone did not attend regular classes and just look online classes, students would not be able to interact with other students and learn from instructors where they are able to ask questions and learn from the professors and other classmates. Online classes are a great idea but to a certain extent.
ReplyDeleteI found this really interesting..I have always been a firm believer in face to face communication. I feel like we lose a lot from emails, texts or even phone calls. We cannot see the person's facial expressions or body language, which often gives hints to people how they're feeling. So often I misread texts or because no emoticon is being used I could assume they're unhappy. However, after looking through this lecture I have a different view. I believe there needs to be a balance between face to face communication as well as using technology. The world is changing so fast and it's great to be able to get online classes and get our hw online especially if a class has been missed. Being up to date with the newest technology is important because it can be an asset for jobs. Balance is key.
ReplyDeleteThose are very intriguing statistics presented in "The Digital Promise". I agree with my fellows classmates about finding a balance between digital communication and good old fashioned learning in the classroom with books. The environment of the classroom has had changes in the past 10 years with regards to technology, but I believe that what will happen in the next 15, 20 or 30 years will be astounding. I believe that having the expertise in technology will become essential not only to succeed in the professional world, but in the academic environment as well.
ReplyDeleteDue to our increasing reliance on computers and the internet it is in inevitable that being technologically savvy will be an asset. But at the same time we must be able to learn and communicate without these resources. There is no way to completely predict how society will continue into the future with this dependency on technology but we do know that our world has successfully come this far with a balance of the two. As Rebecca said in the previous comment, "Balance is Key". The problem with the internet and endless access to information is that it may prevent individuals from exercising their ability to learn and use memory which is more helpful because technology does crash. Learning the knowledge is more valuable than simply being able to access the knowledge.
I definitely agree with you Jess on how people should keep up with times and be more open to new innovations in technology. A major factor that continues to evolve in our lives is the internet and the possibilities it can give us. There are more people communicating over social media than ever before and it will only continue to grow from here on out. It is our future. For this reason, it is important to be taught about technology and how to use it in school and Universities now days. From personal experience, social media has allowing me to communicate casually with friends, family, and new people I meet during my travels that I would normally not be able to regularly talk with. It has also allowed me to build connections with other people and companies in the field I study (fashion industries). In addition, because of social media, it has allowed me to gain knowledge and learn about future career opportunities as well as build my own online resume and business image about myself. I feel that without social media I would not be as inform about current events and people as I am today. It has become normality in people lives. However, I feel that people have a threshold to technology. There are certain amounts of different styles of social media people can tolerate or prefer to have like facebook, twitter, second world, Friendster, Tumblr, etc. Many of these sites are overdone in the sense of how many ways is it neccary to communicate?? Seriously! I feel people do not care to have 20 different types of personal pages. I also feel that now a days most of people lives revolve around using the internet either through work or school to the point we are staring at a screen more than spending time with our families and friends. At the end of the day, many prefer to get away from the computer and go out for a walk in park, go see a play, enjoy a day of shopping. I know I personally feel like that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments. The Digital Promise Program has a lot of potential. With the increase use of social media, people need to keep up with the changing technologies. Digital learning is becoming more and more intergrated into the curriculum of students, from elementary all the way to University. It almost seems that these youngings out there have a higher grasp on the use of technology then us. It's simply due to this change in technology, kids are getting exposed at a younger age. I think the more important, or challenging. area to tackle, would be to find a way to intergrate digial learning within the older generations.
ReplyDelete