It is time to wake up. As a nation, we want our children to be prepared for their world. (As a parent, I know I do.) Their world is and will be much different from mine. If we want them prepared to thrive in it, we as educators better wake up and make some changes. Gone are the rows of desks, lecture, and note taking. Bring in the iPads, digital gaming, and social networking. You need only watch Mr. Winkle in his video to see that some schools and educators are still asleep.
We need to change our perspective on how we view the digital world and its affects on learning. There is so much positive data on integrating technology in the classroom and the benefits that come with it. As educators, it is our responsibility to make others aware of how to use it and why we should use it. Its a struggle for me. It is out of my comfort zone. However, I know the importance of using it. I want to provide an example to my children and students that something might be tough to learn, but it can still be accomplished. I don't want to be like Mr. Winkle. So, I'm waking up.
*you tube video by Mathew Needleman
This is such a great post! As future educators we can't be afraid of our ever evolving world, because if we refuse to change it's at the expense of our children and students. Technology can be beneficial in some many ways, and it's beyond time to embrace that.
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