This week, I managed to find time to speak in depth with Jane, my supervisor at School One. We talked about her students’ use of social media and digital tools, and it definitely helped me to really understand the experience that students go through everyday. I’m scheduled to speak specifically to a group of them next week but before that, I want to articulate what my thoughts are as of right now in relation to technology in the classroom.
There’s nothing that makes me feel older than being in a classroom with middle school students. During my time at School One, I’ve seen them navigate Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Meograph, Twitter, Google Docs, Email, Scratch, to name just a few digital platforms that I have seen students use in relation to both school and their own personal relationships. It’s interesting to note as well that the tools that I use, differ quite greatly from tools that students who are not much younger than I am use. In the middle school, there exists information overload; students have to constantly learn not just new concepts and ideas, but also, how to work through different approaches to presenting and finding information.
These 11-13-year-olds have to cognitively process a tremendous amount of information in such a short period of time. Even though I am only about seven years older than some of them, I find that their ability to switch between media and learn how to use them is much more developed than even my own. But I’m also getting the sense that there is no stop to this advancement. Every generation will begin using digital tools at a much younger age and consequently, their ability to navigate between media will be much more developed.
This leads to my thinking about the one-to-one laptop program at School One. By requiring ninth graders to have their own laptops, will there need to be further instruction on HOW to use them effectively as the current discourse insists? Because from what it seems like, students seem to have everything down pat.