Lesson 3: Understanding Technology Learners

   Today’s learners appear smarter, yet they don’t read ass their parents do and they are addicted to the internet. Even in the classes their concentration is questionable as they are uneasy to simply sit and listen. They become alive again through video presentations, group activities and computer classes.

The concern for new learners is valid. On the other hand, it is to be admitted that our teachers today generally use the traditional education program applicable to learners of the past, acquainted with linear, textual, and sequential learning. They fail to realize that the new generation of the 21^st millennium is not the kind of learner that they were, but are information technology or digital learners.

It is observe that the new learners spend much time talking with friends on their cellphones, spending text messages, interacting trough social Internet media like Facebook, playing video games and surfing the World Wide Web.

Lest the concerns for new learners is not well understood, it serves to know what scientist say as follows:

·         There are positive benefits derived from the use of information technology or digital resources and these counterbalance possible negative effects of technology on children.

·         Daily exposure to high technology-personal computers, video game gadgets, cellphones, and Internet and search sites-stimulates the brain by strengthening and creating neural circuits.

·         A current technological revolution is creating an intellectual revolution, faster and better than ever before.

Truly there are valid concerns which must be met, and among these is the feared under development of new learners along social face-to-face interaction skills. On the other hand, there is the phenomenon of the young generation taking on multi-tasking as they perform task simultaneously: watching video, chatting online, downloading pictures and music, surfing the Web, etc. True to say, research shows that multitasking can be detrimental since this prevents concentration and the completion of specific tasks. However, multitasking characterizes professional works in the new world of information technology. There is the need therefore to balance the good and possibly detrimental changes observed among new learners of this information technology age.

Experience

As we interviewed one of the teachers who participated in Bukidnon Physics Society, we learned that teachers nowadays are really trying their best to cope up the fast changing technology we live in today because their time before are quite different in this  new generation.  That’s why they are currently attending seminars to broaden their understanding on how to integrate technology in teaching the student.

Reflection

As a teacher it is very important to understand the learners in order to test their limits and strengthened their weaknesses. But in doing such things, teacher must exert effort to catch the attention of the digital learners and engaged them fully in such activities that they would not bore themselves to death. In understanding the learners the teacher must put herself/himself in his or her students’ situation and take time to learn and cope up with the fast changing technology and must be also updated of what’s in and out and the current issues which might interest hi/her students.  Moreover, it is important to widen the knowledge about integrating technology in teaching the students and not to be stagnant when it comes to dealing with the students in order to have an interactive class discussion.

Application

Nowadays, it is very important to be updated of what’s in and what’s out. That’s why the BPS which stands for Bukidnon Physics Society held a seminar about integrating technology in teaching the students which really helps the teachers to be aware of how to integrate the technology in their lesson. One of these is to use the Phet simulation in teaching their lesson towards the students. By actually using these, it will help the students to visualize the movements of the electron inside the conducting wire if the voltage increases not just imagining its movements.