Engaging the Tech Natives
Tech natives are experienced multitaskers, accustomed to using text messaging, PDAs, cell phones, and email while at the same time searching the Web and watching television! Teaching tech native students presents a challenge to teachers and schools alike. They're already busy adopting new systems for communicating (instant messaging), sharing (blogs), buying and selling (eBay), exchanging (peer-to-peer technology), creating (Flash), meeting (3D worlds), collecting (downloads), coordinating (wikis), evaluating (reputation systems), searching (Google), analyzing (SETI), reporting (camera phones), programming (modding), socializing (chat rooms), and even learning (Web surfing). How can teachers break through all of this technology and reach their students? We have the answer!
Big Ideas Learning's one day, hands-on workshop takes the teacher into the world of the tech native. We work together to discover ways to engage the tech native and learn to communicate in their world. Using the language and tools of the tech native combined with the knowledge and experiences of the classroom teacher, this workshop will help create classrooms that provide engaging learning experiences for our 21st century students. By providing teachers with tools and methodologies that dissolve teaching barriers presented by tech native students, teachers can provide classroom education that is timely, relevant, rigorous and stimulating.