So You Want to Be A Teacher - Reaching Teens in the Digital Age
I remember my father telling me that one day computers would be in every home.
That was in 1971 and he encouraged me to take a computer course in high school.
Honestly, it scared me to death.
That classroom full of huge machines and all those little cards full of holes.
And I was supposed to believe that the holes told the computer what to do and learn how to punch the cards.
Well, I got through the course and vowed never to touch a computer again.
So, I set out to learn how to be a good secretary.
LOL.
Now, those skills are obsolete and although typing at about 100 words per minute still comes in handy, I know many friends who followed the same path who can't get work.
Why? Because they can't navigate a computer.
This may seem irrelevant to you, but I realized quickly that if I was going to become a teacher I had to discard everything I thought I knew about teaching.
The vast majority of teachers come into the classroom and teach the way they were taught and the result is disruptive students, low achievement, and a lack of motivation in the students.
Everyone seems to be asking the same question.
Why can't or won't these students learn? Drop out rates are soaring and it is everyone's fault except the students'.
Teaching a class of at risk teens opened my eyes to these issues.
But I had an advantage over my fellow graduates and many other teachers.
I am computer literate.
I am internet savvy, and I can even install software and maintain computers.
So, how could I use these skills in teaching.
For me it was easy, but I soon realized that for some it seemed almost impossible.
When our district required each teacher to create and maintain a website you should have heard the complaints.
So, what can you do to reach these techno-kids? A lot more than you think and it is not as difficult as you may think.
Pod-casting - Possibly the easiest and most ingenious way to reach kids today is with pod-casting.
Yeah, that is what I said.
Pod-casting is something almost every teen knows about and can tap into with relative ease.
You can easily create a pod cast to supplement your lesson plans using many free programs like, Audacity and an MP3 encoder plug-in.
You need your computer of course and a microphone to get started.
Then it is a matter of making your recorded lesson, converting it to MP3 format and publishing it to the web.
Then, of course, letting your students know where to go to get the upload that will have them talking about what a cool teacher you are as they listen to your lesson outside of class.
One of the beauties of this is the novelty for most students.
My students would ask me constantly, 'Did you do a podcast for this?' If you want a good tutorial for free do a search for how-to-podcast-tutorial.
com.
There is a wealth of information to help you.
Websites - Whether you choose to do pod-casting or not, one vital element you should incorporate into your curriculum is a website.
Not only is it a place you can post your new pod-casts, but it allows you to have a place that is easily accessible to both students and parents.
This can actually save you loads of time with your contact duties as well.
On a class website you can post homework assignments, make-up work, worksheets, requirements and templates for reports, additional resources, practice tests, and a plethora of other materials and safe resource links for your students to access outside, and during classes.
And of course, don't forget about videos.
Remember, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video speaks volumes.
Email - You need to be careful here.
Often school districts are strict about email to students, however, if you can get permission and use only your designated teacher's account email contact can be a good option for reaching your students and their parents.
I would suggest you get permission from parents as well as their email addresses as well.
Email is a quick and easy way to notify students and parents of what is happening in classes and at school.
Reminders about homework and other assignments through email provides an end to the ' I forgot' and 'I didn't know' arguments especially if you require a read reply with your mail outs.
Cell Phones - OK, I hear you.
Almost every school forbids cell phones in classrooms.
Perhaps one day they will get on board and realize these kids 'would die' without their cells.
But how can you use them.
On think I discovered was that I could put up a 'test' question or opinion poll that required a simple text response to my cell phone.
The kids LOVED this idea and every one of them responded each time.
Those who didn't happen to have a cell were able to respond from a friends phone as long as they included their name.
This also allowed me to have access to accurate and current cell phone numbers.
If you don't want to use your primary cell for this, there are many companies that allow you to purchase limited use, no contract phones that you could designate for this purpose.
Remember, however to set some rules about calling you.
Nothing is more irritating after a long week that a phone call at 2am on a Sunday night asking about an assignment.
These suggestions worked for me with my students and I had a 72% success rate with these, low achieving students who were at risk for dropping out of school.
When asked what I did differently, I have to explain that I tap into the techno-world they live in.
Apparently I am on to something.
I hope it helps you reach your students.
I suggest you do a search on You Tube for a video called 'SHIFT HAPPENS' by wingedangel19.
Look for the original version then the updated version.
It is an eye opener.
I show it at open house and on the first day of school when I explain to my students that they will be required to utilize the internet for my class.
Remember, not only are these suggestions timely and successful, they will also provide your students with vital experience using the internet and computers.
Let's face it, we really are training students for jobs that don't even exist yet.
Isn't it about time we put away the old ideas and reach for some new ones.
Just so you know.
I am not affiliated in any way with any product or service mentioned in this article.
I am just a teacher who found something that worked and hope that by sharing it you will make it work for you.
Good luck and as always, feel free to contact me if I can be of any help.
I will answer you as soon as I can.
That was in 1971 and he encouraged me to take a computer course in high school.
Honestly, it scared me to death.
That classroom full of huge machines and all those little cards full of holes.
And I was supposed to believe that the holes told the computer what to do and learn how to punch the cards.
Well, I got through the course and vowed never to touch a computer again.
So, I set out to learn how to be a good secretary.
LOL.
Now, those skills are obsolete and although typing at about 100 words per minute still comes in handy, I know many friends who followed the same path who can't get work.
Why? Because they can't navigate a computer.
This may seem irrelevant to you, but I realized quickly that if I was going to become a teacher I had to discard everything I thought I knew about teaching.
The vast majority of teachers come into the classroom and teach the way they were taught and the result is disruptive students, low achievement, and a lack of motivation in the students.
Everyone seems to be asking the same question.
Why can't or won't these students learn? Drop out rates are soaring and it is everyone's fault except the students'.
Teaching a class of at risk teens opened my eyes to these issues.
But I had an advantage over my fellow graduates and many other teachers.
I am computer literate.
I am internet savvy, and I can even install software and maintain computers.
So, how could I use these skills in teaching.
For me it was easy, but I soon realized that for some it seemed almost impossible.
When our district required each teacher to create and maintain a website you should have heard the complaints.
So, what can you do to reach these techno-kids? A lot more than you think and it is not as difficult as you may think.
Pod-casting - Possibly the easiest and most ingenious way to reach kids today is with pod-casting.
Yeah, that is what I said.
Pod-casting is something almost every teen knows about and can tap into with relative ease.
You can easily create a pod cast to supplement your lesson plans using many free programs like, Audacity and an MP3 encoder plug-in.
You need your computer of course and a microphone to get started.
Then it is a matter of making your recorded lesson, converting it to MP3 format and publishing it to the web.
Then, of course, letting your students know where to go to get the upload that will have them talking about what a cool teacher you are as they listen to your lesson outside of class.
One of the beauties of this is the novelty for most students.
My students would ask me constantly, 'Did you do a podcast for this?' If you want a good tutorial for free do a search for how-to-podcast-tutorial.
com.
There is a wealth of information to help you.
Websites - Whether you choose to do pod-casting or not, one vital element you should incorporate into your curriculum is a website.
Not only is it a place you can post your new pod-casts, but it allows you to have a place that is easily accessible to both students and parents.
This can actually save you loads of time with your contact duties as well.
On a class website you can post homework assignments, make-up work, worksheets, requirements and templates for reports, additional resources, practice tests, and a plethora of other materials and safe resource links for your students to access outside, and during classes.
And of course, don't forget about videos.
Remember, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video speaks volumes.
Email - You need to be careful here.
Often school districts are strict about email to students, however, if you can get permission and use only your designated teacher's account email contact can be a good option for reaching your students and their parents.
I would suggest you get permission from parents as well as their email addresses as well.
Email is a quick and easy way to notify students and parents of what is happening in classes and at school.
Reminders about homework and other assignments through email provides an end to the ' I forgot' and 'I didn't know' arguments especially if you require a read reply with your mail outs.
Cell Phones - OK, I hear you.
Almost every school forbids cell phones in classrooms.
Perhaps one day they will get on board and realize these kids 'would die' without their cells.
But how can you use them.
On think I discovered was that I could put up a 'test' question or opinion poll that required a simple text response to my cell phone.
The kids LOVED this idea and every one of them responded each time.
Those who didn't happen to have a cell were able to respond from a friends phone as long as they included their name.
This also allowed me to have access to accurate and current cell phone numbers.
If you don't want to use your primary cell for this, there are many companies that allow you to purchase limited use, no contract phones that you could designate for this purpose.
Remember, however to set some rules about calling you.
Nothing is more irritating after a long week that a phone call at 2am on a Sunday night asking about an assignment.
These suggestions worked for me with my students and I had a 72% success rate with these, low achieving students who were at risk for dropping out of school.
When asked what I did differently, I have to explain that I tap into the techno-world they live in.
Apparently I am on to something.
I hope it helps you reach your students.
I suggest you do a search on You Tube for a video called 'SHIFT HAPPENS' by wingedangel19.
Look for the original version then the updated version.
It is an eye opener.
I show it at open house and on the first day of school when I explain to my students that they will be required to utilize the internet for my class.
Remember, not only are these suggestions timely and successful, they will also provide your students with vital experience using the internet and computers.
Let's face it, we really are training students for jobs that don't even exist yet.
Isn't it about time we put away the old ideas and reach for some new ones.
Just so you know.
I am not affiliated in any way with any product or service mentioned in this article.
I am just a teacher who found something that worked and hope that by sharing it you will make it work for you.
Good luck and as always, feel free to contact me if I can be of any help.
I will answer you as soon as I can.
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