It seems that children can naturally navigate technology in ways that would take many adults much longer to figure out. A visit to any pediatrician’s office will reveal children as young as 3 years old playing on a handheld device of some sort, from a parent’s smartphone to a Nintendo DS or iPod Touch. The ability to have instant and constant access to vast amounts of information has reshaped our culture, and it is consequently shaping our children’s experiences as well.
It’s with this growing tech trend that school districts in North Texas have begun equipping children with technological tools in the classroom in an effort to be relevant with these tech-minded tykes.
One school district opted for the use of interactive whiteboards for lessons. Mesquite ISD teachers are able to create a lesson with the whiteboards and many of the teachers also have clickers that allow students to virtually submit answers during classroom discussions. Participation is high and enthusiastic, something Richard Armand, administrative officer for technology at Mesquite ISD, attributes in part to anonymity for the user.
For Armand, one of the most exciting changes he sees concerning the use of technology and young people is the creation of a classroom that extends beyond the school day and the school walls.
“Teachers are seeing great results when they create space on the Internet to extend the topics discussed during class time,” he says. “Kids will write volumes more on their computers than they ever would in a spiral notebook.”
Armand also finds it fascinating to see the time of day children log on. “Most of the systems have a time stamp for posted comments and you’ll see, 6 a.m., before they arrive at school, or 4:15 p.m., as soon as they get home from school, or even 11 o’clock at night. It’s amazing to see.” Armand believes that given a great assignment, and the freedom to learn, kids will have a great time taking advantage of new technologies.
Considering the workforce of today and tomorrow—as well as how kids interact with each other—helps ease the concerns of skeptical parents. Armand points out that today’s kids are used to typing out their thoughts on both computers and handheld devices. Using devices and software inside the classroom that mimic outside behavior feels very natural to them.
With so much of day-to-day business taking place through computer-generated content on a screen, tech proficiency is a must. Teaching students to use this technology in a positive way will help them respond better to its presence as well as give them a leg-up in the workforce of the future.
