I am constantly scouring the internet for news stories of new or emerging technology. I often find great videos on YouTube that demonstrate new and exciting stuff. I enjoy sharing these videos with my students which generates excitement. We will then spend a few minutes discussing it following the video.
I think I am aware of most of the emerging technologies, and I am fluent with most of the
terms listed in this lesson. I am "old school"
when it comes time for my lecture on sentence structure. I write on the board and add my com-ments between points. I do mention that if they
haven't taken very good notes, they are allowed to
come up and take a photo with their smartphones.
I had a student do this one time which was quite
shocking. I then realized I needed to "get with the times", so I now let them do so if they wish.
I would like to say "Yes", but the truth is it is not always possible. One way to do this is to subscribe to industry media and discussion groups (magazines, video channels, forum, etc). That way I can at least keep my ear open for new trends that are coming down the pipe, even though I may not be able to incorporate them in the class. I also try and keep close conversations with faculty and students as to the things they are hearing and seeing to try and bring a different thoughts and ideas on current technology trends and how it can be applied in class. I've been often surprised by how much my students know about professional tools and how they are being updated and used.
As the school librarian, I've kept my ALA membership and look forward to their monthly publications for information on new technologies in the library. We've even adapted some here, like QR codes. It also helps me to meet occassionally with other librarians in our school network; exchanging ideas with other professionals is a great learning opportunity. I'm hoping to attend one of the ALA conferences at some point in the future.
Technology is constantly changing since I received my Technology degree. I'm always taking classes on software that I'll be teaching, looking at tutorials on line, and You tube clips.
Keeping up with the Web Design and Development industry is a hard thing to do these days. I teach in a field that changes rapidly. I use online industry current magazines, Blogs, Conferences, as well as industry driven websites to keep current on the content . There is no one place to go for trends.
M@
I have utilyzed the new technologies popular with my students such as facebook as well as youtube and pinterest to put in my culinary dishes, recipes as well as culinary videos to have my students use these as refernce points as well as do the same for themselves.
It is really hard to keep up with emerging technologies. I try to stay abreat by reading technology magazines, etc.
As an elder instructor, I am constantly depending on the younger instructors who speak tech.
At our school we are not allowed to become Facebook contacts and not allowed to use any sort of video or you tube content. I have used some you tube videos on certain cooking techniques that leads into my lecture on a particular culture. For example when we cook Chinese cuisine and one of our dishes is a potsticker, I will show them how it looks from the internet. What I have done is to have my students go look for this info during class so they can see what a potsticker is all about. Then I will demo it and then we all get to eat em ^_^
Glenn ,
Yum- I would like to visit your campus! I know of many schools who have a no YouTube policy due to copyright concerns, and participants on this forum tend to be split 50/50 when it comes to campus policy regarding the use of social media as a learning tool. I think what you are doing is the ideal way to handle these restrictions, by having students pull up the content on their own device.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Best,
Theresa Schmitt
Staying on top of changing technology can be a daunting task considering there are both hardware AND software evolutions. For me, I find a trial and error approach the best method. First, I try to understand how the technology works. Then I think of ways to incorporate it into my classes. If I do not see an obvious benefit (time-saving, efficiency, etc.) of the new technology then I'm less likely to use it. Hardware (e.g. computers) advancements are much easier to recognize because they are immediate and tangible. Software, on the other hand, is more of a hit or miss proposition. In my experience, younger students are much more fickle about their software preferences (particularly social media) than my generation ever was. Let's be honest, is Facebook going to be as viable 10 years from now? Many young students become bored with new technology at an alarming rate, or they gravitate to alternative software that is "cooler" or that their parents aren't using.
I often check to see what my own kids are doing with their homework to stay abreast. Much of their hoemwork involves computers and online homework activities
I have recently gone back to school myself and the current course I'm taking is computer literacy.I am very surprised at all the things I didn't know about technology.So I think as an instructor we do need to try & keep up w/ technology if not for our own benefit at least for own students.
I like doing this also. I act like I am not tech savy and it allows the student to open up more and helps with communication between both of us.
Getting into more technology inservices and seminars. Most students are more tech savvy and you can always open up communication with them about what you don't understand. Most can help you out.
My method of staying abreast of emerging technologies is working with emerging technologies. When Microsoft came out with windows 8.1, I bought a computer with windows 8.1 and started working with the new computer. When tablets began to become relevant, I bought a kindle fire and started working with it. If you can work with the emerging technologies it becomes easier to use the technologies with required applications.
I teach very tech focused courses, so keeping up to date is part of the job. I'm constantly reading up on changes in the industry to help predict trends. I've found professional contacts and advisory board members to be valuable resources in determining when and how to change technology used in the curriculum.
I agree Deborah, we will fall behind if we run scared. It is easier down the road if we keep up with change.
At my institution we have a cyber library and require students to do research and write papers based on their research done on the cyber library, which gives them access to a multitude of literary works, articles, newspapers and magazines, therefore broadening their ability to maneuver through a cyber environment. Additionally, I also purchase new technology as it is introduced to stay in sync with todays learners, so that at all times I know how to use these new forms of technology that students are bringing into the classroom environment.
