Problems in the Classroom

Okay, so, let’s say I am a K-12 teacher, and…let’s say everyone in my class has a personal computer connected to the Internet? What are some the problems I expect to run into? Hopefully, if I am doing my job correctly, nothing! But it can’t be that simple, can it? I am sure one of the obvious problems I expect to be faced with is students simply seeing the computer as a toy, or something to be used for leisure and entertainment. Younger and younger generations are brought into the world already learning how to use technologies, however, the problem is that students do not know how to analyze the information they access in an academic manner.

As an instructor, I have to solidly establish that the technology in the classroom is there for a reason. While the technology is there to engage students, as a teacher, I also have to establish the foundation that the technology is there to assist the students in their learning goals. For me, that means teaching the students that in addition to using the technology to communicate, to socialize, I have to teach them how to use technology academically…teaching them how to get the best out of it.

So, of course, guidelines and rules must in place to keep students focused academically. Students must be educated on learning how to be safe online, cyber ethics, plagiarism…anything that might lead to the misuse of technology. Some good sites that might come in handy for rules and guidelines for safety are Be Web Aware, Kidz Privacy, and Cyber Citizenship.