Teachers need to integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum instead of viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought, or an event. – Heidi-Hayes Jacobs
Technology has become a part of our everyday lives from smartphones to tablets there is rarely an hour that goes by we aren't using some piece of technology. I make an appointment with my hairdresser, and I pull out my phone to plug it into my calendar. I drive up to the Subway, and put my order in on a touch screen before reaching the drive-thru window. I want to take video of my dog jumping through the fall leaves; I grab my tablet to record. These pieces have all become part of my daily life.
According to a study done by Common Sense Media, teens spend about nine hours a day consuming media. James Steyer, chief executive officer and founder of Common Sense Media stated " It just shows you that these kids live in this massive 24/7 digital media technology world, and it's shaping every aspect of their life. They spend far more time with media technology than any other thing in their life. This is the dominant intermediary in their life."
There are other statistics about how much screen time teens get every day, or the amount of teenagers with personal devices, but the bottom line is that students are growing up inundated with technology. No longer is using a laptop, tablet, or cell phone "new" and "exciting" for kids and we need to stop acting like it is. Students need to be allowed to use the tools at their disposal to complete their learning tasks. Teachers don't need to teach them how to use Prezi, or set up an account to edit videos using WeVideo. Instead , teachers need to create deep thinking problems and allow students to discover, learn, and use new tools to help them complete the task at hand. The days of choosing/teaching a specific technology are over and a new era of simply using the tools at hand has been ushered in. It's not technology integration it is simply life to today's students.
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