Technology and Teaching | Brandi Kubat-Snow | TEDxWWU

I want you to take a moment and think about a classroom for you were in school could be elementary middle or high school there was probably a teacher desk some books and supplies and students sitting in rows today classrooms still have a teacher space there are some books and supplies and students are still sitting in desks in rows sometimes groups really lucky teachers have tables but in general classrooms haven't changed in decades the way we communicate has changed the way we shop has changed and our students have changed hi viewers today I'm going to teach

you how to make hot cocoa so first of my chocolate milk put it in the microwave we hit t2 boom that's how you make hot chocolate by [Applause] that is my son Jack he is six years old and he wants to be a vlogger he is not one yet but he loves to record interviews and make how-to videos and then share them out to his viewers it's amazing that at six he recognizes that he can create and share these videos and then send them to the world then I think about all the other kids that

are communicating connecting sharing their talents on social media and YouTube and when those same kids go to school the next day often they're told put your phone away there are no phones allowed yes we want kids to practice and develop their interpersonal skills but in addition to that and equally important we have to make sure we are honoring their culture using technology is the world they are growing up in surely our classrooms and schools should look that way to the purpose of education is to prepare students for their future prepare the next generation the students

in our classrooms today are digital natives they have grown up with technology in the palm of their hand we as teachers and school leaders are digital immigrants still trying to figure it out because technology can feel really scary because of that some have even labeled themselves as not techie it's important to acknowledge we as digital immigrants will never fully understand their world we did not grow up with our lives documented on social media but educational speaker kevin honeycutt says kids are growing up on a digital playground and no one is on recess duty we as

parents and educators don't have the luxury of saying I am NOT techy it is time for a mindset shift instead of seeing technology is just a toy something for selfies and games why not utilize it for the tool it can be if you have a question ask Google want to learn how to do something watch a YouTube video educators can intentionally incorporate these resources into their classrooms to create learning experiences for their students so that they can ask even bigger questions and have more wonderings because the internet will always have more information than any textbook

and because we have these tools learning doesn't stay within the four walls of the classroom we can connect with experts and people around the globe take this TEDx for example there have been some pretty amazing ideas shared here today right [Applause] before utilizing technology only those lucky enough to be in the room would have gotten to hear those messages now anyone who can get to YouTube will be able to watch re-watch and share these important messages we have students that have not had the luxury and the opportunity to travel outside of their hometown with technology

classrooms can go anywhere from the bottom of the sea to the Taj Mahal even interacting with astronauts on the space station learning can literally be an out-of-this-world experience information travels at a rapid pace you can have the most current score in the game know the best restaurant to go to have the latest research on a topic because information is so easily accessible the role of educators can shift to I as a teacher don't have to have all the answers I don't have to be the only expert in the room instead I can ask my students

a question and then teach them how to access information and evaluate it for being credible and reliable the role of students can shift to they don't have to be just consumers of information and reciting backed facts they can become creators of content and show their learning in a multitude of ways solely relying on paper and pencil tests to evaluate learning has got to come to an end [Applause] [Music] now this may come as a shock not everyone has a smartphone not everyone has internet access or even a home computer because of this those students that

don't have access outside of our schools it is even more important that we are teaching them how to use these resources as a tool so all students can reach their full potential without it they will be at a greater disadvantage when they leave our schools we teach kids how to interact on the playground we teach kids how to participate in a classroom discussion we teach kids how to read and write and do math and socialize in science and art and even how to walk down a hallway all of those skills will transfer over to them

becoming productive members of their community our digital native students are also part of a digital community we must teach them how to be good digital citizens and as a digital immigrant that can feel really weird so I challenge you to talk to the digital natives in your life ask them how they're connecting with their peers have them teach you about their favorite social media platforms you may be surprised how excited they are to share their world with you because then you can support them in making safe and responsible choices while online it's important to remember

that shifts and change can't happen at just a classroom level students and teachers need reliable access to resources on a regular basis internet computers software headphones and leadership but is advocating for and modeling this shift when teachers and students have the resources and support necessary they are unstoppable according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics by 2020 77 percent of jobs will require some degree of technical skill that is less than two years away so whether they want to be a welder an engineer a social activist or even a vlogger it is time for all

of our classrooms in all of our schools make the shift to prepare all of our students for their technology rich future of tomorrow thanks