I remember being in grade 5, playing Oregon Trail on the computer. We would often die of dysentery.
This game (Oregon Trail) shows the ever-changing world we live in. 27 years ago, these were the available computer games. At that time, these games were incredible. I grew up learning about computers. How they worked, and how they could change our lives. I can remember people discussing what a different world we lived in. How gone were the good old days when kids did not sit on computers all day. They got outside and did things. Guess what? People still say the same thing. I think it is just a reason to complain.
So, as a future teacher, what can I learn from my childhood? Well, to start with, we know that the internet is ever-changing. When I graduated high school and started college(the first time) at 18 years old, Facebook was a huge deal. Everyone was signing up. After looking at Michael Wesch’s post, we now see Facebook is not
popular with teens.
Teachers must keep up with the new trends and understand what is happening worldwide. Gone are the days of writing on paper, and now are the days of students learning about AI. The advancement of technology is astronomical. If we want to know anything, we can look up tutorials on YouTube. Schools also now have the option to offer classes online. Until the Covid era, not many courses were taught online by schools. Now, we see entire schools set up online, such as the Cyber Stone Virtual School. Online education opens so many possibilities for students and teachers alike. If a class is no longer available in person at a school, the student can attend the class in an online setting. The same goes for university; this very class (EDTC300) is online.
Do students still need to learn how to print? YES! Without keeping up with technological advances, we are doing a major disservice to our students.
I’ll also leave you with a little golden nugget. I have been following a gentleman on TikTok called Mr. Lindsay.
@mr_lindsay_sped What the #sigma are these kids saying? #genalpha #slang #middleschoolslang #teachersoftiktok #teacherfyp #fyp #whatthesigma
He likes to fill everyone in on the recent trends in words such as sigma or alpha. I think this ties in with technology. Our students’ language will also evolve, just like technology, and it is up to us, teachers, to be able to understand and keep up with the newest and latest.
Hi Dayna! Great post! You’re absolutely right that staying up to date with new trends in technology is extremely important for educators in this digital age. And yes, Covid highlighted the importance of technology in education and promoted the adoption of online teaching tools and platforms. This online class is one of the examples of how universities are embracing this shift to meet the diverse needs of students in a rapidly changing world! What a time to be alive haha. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Isn’t it a time to be alive? So much has changed since I first went to university. I love that I should be able to complete most of my degree online. The possibilities are open in so many ways for people.