Transforming Teaching:

Technology and media have changed the way the world operates, changing how we access information, share knowledge, and communicate with others (which I am sure is not news to you). These changes have also had an impact on education, changing the ways we teach and learn in the classroom.

Take our EDTC class, for example; everything is done online. From weekly learning projects to talking through blogs, Discord, and Zoom, technology is at the very front of our experience. Without it, this course simply wouldn’t work the way it does. (as classes change and adapt, we have to do the same).

This week, we watched a YouTube video titled “An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube.” In it, Michael Wesch discusses how YouTube has opened the door for “global discussion”, changing and uploading content, and even collaboration. He gives examples of how people from all over the world connected through webcam videos, like the viral “Numa Numa” trend.

I really appreciated this video because it highlights the positive impact social media can have on connection (which is refreshing because social media can be damaging and negative most days). Since YouTube’s become a thing, we’ve gained many more platforms, but I enjoyed how Wesch explains its influence from an anthropological perspective. 

What This Means for My Future Classroom:

As a future educator, this means I need to take in digital tools and understand that learning isn’t just textbooks and “traditional methods” anymore. My students will be part of a world where information is constantly at their fingertips, where they can learn from people across the globe (not just those directly around them).

Instead of ignoring this fact, I want to find ways to add technology meaningfully, whether that’s through blogging, using interactive platforms like Kahoot (or countless others), or encouraging students to explore digital media in a safe way. Teaching students how to be sure of media, and how to be safe and be mindful of their digital footprint is not only my job as a future educator, but a partnership between me, my students, and their guardians.

What This Means for Schools in General:

 The “digital age” is forcing changes (whether we want to admit that or not, I myself am sometimes in denial…). The way students access and see information today is very different from even a decade ago. Schools need to move beyond “memory” learning and change towards teaching students how to look at sources and post online in safe ways. This is not just a school’s job,  it is a team effort that we must consider. 

Past Wishes:

I can’t speak for everyone’s experiences, but personally, I wish I had learned more about what a digital footprint really meant. Like many of my friends, I got Facebook at a very young age, without fully understanding the long-term impact of what I posted. According to my profile (which I still use), I was born in 1975…obviously not true, as I was actually born in 2002. This means that, according to Facebook, I’m fifty years old when, in reality, I’m twenty-two.

Looking back, I have countless posts from when I was younger, which I wish I could take back, not because they were harmful, but extremely cringeworthy. This is why it’s so important to teach students about online presence, privacy, and the lasting impact of what they share. To this day, I still wish I could take back some of the cringeworthy things I have put on social media, but this week’s reading was a reminder that you can’t, and it also reminded me how cautious I need to be moving forward. 

To back up the need for these teachings, I’ll leave you with a statistic from an article we read this week (linked here). “When reflecting on their social media use, a majority of U.S. teens (55%) feel they spend about the right amount of time on these platforms, while 36% believe they spend too much time. Only 8% think they spend too little time on social media.”

This highlights just how much social media is used  in students’ daily lives. Understanding digital footprints, privacy, and the long term effects of online activity should be a highlighted part of “now” education.

Closing Thoughts & How We Move Forward:

Wesch’s video reminds us that the internet has created new ways of learning, communicating, and engaging. As future educators, we have the responsibility to prepare students for this reality, not by being in denial (like some of us were… cough cough me…) but by embracing it thoughtfully. Schools and classrooms need to change, making sure that students are not just people who see  digital content but people who participate in the world around them. By pushing awareness and encouraging responsible online behavior, we can get the next generation to take control of their digital identities and use technology in meaningful, positive ways.